Disability Employment: PWDs an Untapped Resource Says Chamber of Commerce

From the US Chamber of Commerce (4.19.11):

Workers With Disabilities: An Untapped Resource

by Tom Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

It’s hard to imagine with 8.8% unemployment that America will soon be facing a worker shortage as 77 million baby boomers begin retiring. Many businesses already face a skills shortage, unable to find qualified workers for positions that are open. There is a great untapped resource, however, to which these businesses can turn—individuals with disabilities.

Unfortunately, too many employers are not aware of the pool of qualified workers with disabilities, do not know how to reach them, and are concerned about the perceived costs and challenges of providing accommodations.

The U.S. Chamber and the Business Leadership Network, now called USBLN, hosted a conference last week to highlight employer best practices in hiring and accommodating workers with disabilities. USBLN is a national organization that helps build workplaces where people with disabilities are respected for their talents. I was honored to chair this organization in the 1990s. At the event, many companies shared their success stories about employing and advancing people with disabilities, marketing to consumers with disabilities, and contracting with companies owned by people with disabilities to the benefit of their bottom lines...

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