The Benefits Of Putting The Abilities Of People With Disability To Work

Around 5.5 million Australians are living with a disability today, which is about 22% of the country’s total population. The prevalence of disability is divided fairly equally between men and women and increases with age. Around 14% of people under age 65 are experiencing some level of disability, and this rises to 51% for people over age 65. The portion of the population who have a disability is quite diverse, coming from all socioeconomic and demographic groups. They are also experiencing many different kinds of disabilities of various severity, so they require different levels of assistance.

One of the best possible things that society can do for people who have disabilities is to give them opportunities to work, contributing to their sense of well-being and meaningfulness as well as helping them to lead better, more productive lives. Australia is at the forefront of this worthy endeavour, and people who have disabilities who want to improve their lives can visit a disability recruitment agency where they will be provided with opportunities to seek employment and be given the resources they need to succeed. Being able to make a meaningful contribution in life is fundamental to an individual’s sense of well-being; it improves the quality of that person’s life exponentially.

In addition to that worthy goal, it has been found that employing people with a disability isn’t just a very positive step for the individual, it’s also good for business, providing the employer with a number of benefits. People who live with a disability also have diverse perspectives on life based on their unique experiences, which leads them to develop many skills and talents that can prove to be very useful when applied to a work environment. People who live with a disability have also been shown to maintain a very positive work attitude and personal ethos, so much so that hiring a person with disability can boost workplace productivity and morale!

Research has shown that hiring people with disabilities can foster marked improvements for the business and the individual, which include:

● Increased customer satisfaction

● Improved employee performance

● A diverse and inclusive culture in the workplace

● Increased ability awareness

● Provides challenges to stereotypes

● Creates secondary benefits for employees with disability

● Greater profitability

One of the great advantages of having a diverse workforce is that it reflects the diversity of a business’ customer base. A diverse workforce that includes people with disability models the surrounding community and makes the business more relatable on a personal and human level. This diversity enhances the business image and elevates its brand among the staff, community, and customers. Having an inclusive workplace provides a plethora of benefits for the business. By giving meaningful employment to people, the business benefits from having a more inclusive and positive work environment can boost staff morale, improve co-worker relationships and increase productivity across the entire organisation.

By employing people with disability, the business is able to demonstrate to both its employees and the public that people with disability have value, increasing the awareness of the special skills and experience they bring to the workplace. This demonstration contributes to building disability-positive workplaces as well as communities. When a person with a disability in the public sees that a business is employing people who are experiencing similar life challenges to themselves, it makes them more likely to support that business and brand by becoming its customer, they can relate to it on a personal level; this applies to other types of diversity as well, which is why having a highly diverse workforce is always beneficial to the business’ public outreach and reputation.

People who are living with disability have been shown to compensate by developing excellent problem-solving skills as a result of the necessity to be adaptive to challenges and come up with creative solutions. Businesses that hire people with disability often find that they produce innovative solutions to challenging problems and are adept at creating new and more efficient processes.

It may seem incongruous, but people with disability take off far fewer sick days than other employees, and are overall involved in much fewer work, health, and safety incidents. This resilience and durability incurs greatly reduced staff related business costs, saving the business money.

It is sometimes the case that a section of people with disability need to attend regular medical appointments to address health risks associated with their chronic conditions, but this is really not that different from many other such other obligations in a person’s life, like responsibilities to one’s family. It is also the case that the number of work, health, and safety incidents reported for people with disability is around six times lower, and the number of workers’ compensation incidents is around four times lower when compared to the average employee. Participating businesses share that their employees who have disability are often more reliable, punctual, have a lower turnover rate, and are more conscientious of their work than the average employee.

The proof is in the profits - those businesses that embraced the benefits and challenges of employing and providing support for more people with disability in their workforce outperformed their competitors financially. The question isn’t about what people with disability can’t do, it’s about what they can do, and that is promote success.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that employing people with disability brings tangible benefits to a business, there is still work to be done. Surveys have shown that there are three main reasons some companies have not yet made use of the talents of people who have a disability:

● A lack of understanding regarding the scope of the talent available

● A lack of understanding of the many possible potential benefits

● Misconceptions regarding the cost of disability inclusion in relation to the return on investment

It is taking time to get the word out that hiring employees with disability offers many advantages to businesses. In short, people who have a disability also have abilities, and are ready to put it to work.