Guest Column
Strengthen the Diversity of Your Workplace:
Hire People With Disabilities
Christine M. Griffin began a five-year term in January as one of five members
of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Most
recently, she was executive director of the Disability Law Center in Boston. Before
that, she was attorney adviser for the former vice chair of the EEOC, Paul M.
Igasaki. She also has worked for the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Army.
Progressive companies aggressively recruit for diversity
because they know it makes
them stronger competitors in
today’s global environment. Like
others from diverse backgrounds,
people with disabilities bring
diverse ideas and valuable perspectives that can be used by companies to market their products.
The University of Massachusetts’
Center for Social Development and
Education conducted a recent study
to examine the attitudes of consumers toward companies that hire
people with disabilities. The study
found that 92 percent of those surveyed across the nation felt more
favorable toward companies that
hire individuals with disabilities,
and 87 percent said they would prefer to give their business to such
companies. Some companies didn’t
need this survey to know that
employees with disabilities bring talent and a natural connection to
other people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are the
fastest-growing segment of the
population and they are comprised
of people from all races, ages and
economic backgrounds.
Many companies are busy creating a brand that communicates
their commitment to diversity and
signals a welcome to potential
employees from a variety of races
and ethnicities. Human-resource
departments work hard to identify
the organizations, professional
associations and educational programs that will connect them to
potential employees with the skills
they need and the diversity they are
seeking. Outreach plans are developed to ensure they reach and
recruit their target audience of
potential employees.
This doesn’t happen for people
with disabilities. Unemployment
BY EEOC COMMISSIONER CHRISTINE M. GRIFFIN
remains a major problem for the
disability community—only 32
percent of Americans with disabilities age 18 to 64 are working. The
majority of the remaining 68 percent who are unemployed report
that they would rather be working.
Although many companies
include people with disabilities as
one of the groups represented in
their diversity plan, companies do
little to recruit and retain employees with disabilities. In fact, they
report that no one with a disability ever responds to their job
announcements, fully expecting
people with disabilities to enter
traditionally unwelcome territory
without an invitation.
As they do with other individuals from diverse backgrounds,
companies that really want to be
diverse and competitive can’t wait
for “qualified” individuals with
disabilities to find them. People
who have been routinely rejected
won’t know you are welcoming
them until you send the signal
that you are. Most companies
know that outreach is critical in
achieving a diverse work force,
and nothing could be more
important when seeking employees with disabilities.
So where do you find candidates with disabilities? I have listed some organizations and professionals that can help you with
your outreach. However, I would
suggest that you first develop an
outreach plan. There aren’t many
professional organizations formed
solely for individuals with disabilities, so begin by contacting all the
