Inclusivity Matters.
My children are amazing. My son is the most creative person I know. He loves to paint & can sculpt creatures never before imagined. He is a wonderful problem solver & patiently makes things work when any one else would give up. My daughter sees wonder everywhere. She has an emotional intuition about people & is naturally drawn to those who need a little of her special brand of sparkle. They embrace their uniqueness & are fully “themselves” more than anyone else. They both also happen to have disabilities.
I often wonder what the future looks like for them. I know they have talents, but what opportunities will they get? Will people see beyond their difficulties & embrace their gifts? After all, the unemployment rate for those with a disability is nearly 2X that of their non-disabled peers, and often employers don’t know how to find & reasonably accommodate people who have differing needs.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, so it’s a perfect time to talk about the importance of inclusion. We have compiled a list of resources to help ensure that your policies & procedures are structured to include people with differing abilities & everything they bring to the workplace (links in our pinned post):
𝘑𝘢𝘯.𝘰𝘳𝘨 includes a library about disabilities, what accommodations should be available, contact info for state & local resources, and all the details about applicable laws.
𝘈𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯.𝘰𝘳𝘨 helps employers find, recruit & retain workers with disabilities. Learn how to write an inclusive job post, maintain an accessible environment, and find awareness training.
𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.𝘨𝘰𝘷 connects those looking to learn new skills with employers and sponsors looking for qualified workers.
People with disabilities bring a unique perspective and ability to the world & the workplace. Studies show that an inclusive workplace has higher customer loyalty, better employee retention, and fewer workplace accidents. The next time you are looking for someone to bring their unique talents to your small business, please make a point of including those with disabilities. You will be richly rewarded.
