Business strategy: Tap into motivated pool of disabled workers
February 29th, 2008Writing in Entrepreneur.com, Mark Henricks quotes experts as saying that workers with disabilities represent a large, untapped pool of potential workers at a time when many businesses are complaining of a worker shortage. Twenty percent of the population has some sort of disability, and more than 65 percent of them say they are unemployed or underemployed.
The bad things that employers worry about when hiring a disabled worker rarely happen. Many are concerned about having to build wheelchair ramps, modify employee restrooms or make similarly costly modifications.
But the cost of accommodating disabled employees is typically zero, according to a 2007 study reported by Job Accommodation Network, a government agency. The same study reported many benefits for the employer, from improved employee retention to a larger customer base.

