It makes good business sense to employ people with disabilities


It makes very, very good sense to employ people with disabilities. I’m guessing that this is news to many people.

Oh, he/she is disabled – this dismissive attitude and perception that a person with disability is incapable of any productive work rule in our society. And this is exactly why there is practically zero employment opportunity for the disabled community in our State.

After my car accident which left me with a spinal cord injury and limited motor functions, I have been fortunate to have had supportive employers and people to work with. But even then, I have faced many situations which clearly demonstrated people’s inability to see beyond my disability.

Negative attitudes on disability abound and there is still such poor understanding that we haven’t even begun to take baby steps towards an inclusive society. Thus disabled people remain completely excluded from almost all social and work life. They exist on the fringes of society, quite invisible in day-to-day life.

It is this negative mindset that sees disabled people as ‘unable’ that denies a huge chunk of our society the opportunity to be gainfully employed, thereby denying them the opportunity to live an independent life with dignity.

WHY EMPLOY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

There is of course the human rights case – it is the right of people with disabilities as much as any other citizen to receive equal treatment and equal opportunity in the workplace and throughout society. These equality principles are enshrined in many international conventions and standards. The most recent international standard having a direct impact on the human rights of persons with disabilities is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It requires that States Parties (governments) recognise the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in the labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

But the human rights case is only part of the story about hiring people with disabilities. As documented in many business examples across the globe, there are many benefits of employing people with disabilities which works out to the maximum advantage of the company/business house.

Mind you, this is NOT about hiring people with disabilities out of pity or as a charitable deed, but about making a SMART business and financial decision.

WHY IT PAYS TO BE A ‘DISABILITY-CONFIDENT’ BUSINESS

Hiring a qualified person with a disability brings greater benefits beyond just filling a vacancy. There's a solid business case, too. Businesses that employ people with disabilities turn social issues into business opportunities.

Here are just a few of the benefits of hiring people with disabilities:

  • People with disability make good, dependable employees
  • People with disability take less sick leave and in fact have been shown in surveys to have 39% less absenteeism and use of sick leave than other employees
  • People with disability are more likely to stay on the job---that is, they have higher retention rates. This can significantly save costs for an employer.
  • People with disability are more committed to their jobs
  • People with disability work across many industries, occupations and at all levels of competency
  • People with disability have fewer accidents at work
  • Employers/trainers report that workers with a learning disability outperform their peers without a learning disability in punctuality, attendance and ability to accept constructive criticism or redirection
  • Hiring people with disabilities increases workforce morale. Many employers report that teamwork and morale improves when disabled workers become part of the staff.
  • People with disability are an untapped resource of skills and talents.
  • Consumers are likely to look favourably upon businesses that employ people with disabilities. Surveys show that people prefer to patronise businesses that hire disabled people
  • People with disability build strong relationships with customers
  • The disabled community represent an overlooked market segment that not only includes the person with a disability but his or her family and friends
(Source: ILO Global Business and Disability Network, orsgroup.com.au)

If these are not good enough reasons, then I don’t know what is.

This is a call to all young Naga entrepreneurs to be the FORCE that triggers CHANGE in our society. Turn this social issue into a business opportunity and improve your bottom line. Isn’t that a great strategy – help yourself and at the same time change lives!

And, by the way, I assure you that hiring disabled people will not break the bank. First of all, not all disabilities require special equipments and adaptation of space. For some others, it is a fact that they have unique needs that require time, effort, and an initial investment on the part of the business. Especially given our very poor conditions of accessibility everywhere, it is quite certain that you will have to make some adjustments around your workplace to facilitate their inclusion in your team. But this is not as expensive as it sounds. It can be done with minimum expenditure and tweaked according to the individual’s needs as you go along. Eventually, you may even be inspired to make bigger changes to attract more disabled customers.

What a wonderful thought - a ripple effect that transforms our society!

But let me again repeat that this is not about token hiring of disabled people because of a social or emotional obligation. Like any other recruitment effort, it’s about finding a suitable candidate who has the skills and can provide real value to your business. And I guarantee you that there are many disabled people out there with all the qualifications and skills and drive to take your business forward.

So, here’s a chance for young entrepreneurs to make your business more profitable as well as meaningful! Be the first to step up and become the cool business that shows the way……..
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