The Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
In 2005, the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation reported on a study that found that 92% of consumers felt more favourable toward those employers that hire individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the study showed that people also had strong positive beliefs about the value and benefits of hiring people with disabilities, with 87% specifically agreeing that they would prefer to give their business to companies that hire individuals with disabilities.
AtWork
AtWork outlines further benefits of hiring people with disabilities. These include:
- Improved productivity: Effective job matching fits the employee’s abilities to the employers’ needs. The right person in the right job makes everyone more productive.
- Higher retention: People with disabilities have some of the highest rates of retention of any employee group.
- Low investment, high return: There is no additional cost to you, other than the employee’s wages.
- Win-win situation for all: Hiring people with disabilities benefits the workers, the community and your company.
What resources are out there to assist you in employing people with disabilities?
CASE
The Canadian Association for Supported Employment (“CASE”), established in 1999, was initially an informal network of service providers and stakeholders committed to the full participation of persons with disabilities in the Canadian labour force. CASE is a national association of community-based service providers and stakeholders working toward the Employment Inclusion of people with disabilities. This association strives to promote full citizenship and personal capacity for persons with disabilities through the facilitation of increased labour market participation and outcomes. Through such workforce participation, CASE also promotes social inclusion for Canadians with disabilities. Joining CASE signifies your organization’s role in being part of the national voice for employment inclusion.
CASE lists a number of supportive organizations that can assist in the role of employment inclusion in BC:
There are real and tangible benefits to hiring those people with differing abilities and challenges. As lawyers we are justly concerned with rights and freedoms; I trust we are equally concerned with opportunities being equally available to all.