By Shayn Anderson, Diversity Inclusion
To the question “Why should employers hire people with
disabilities?”, I am still surprised to hear “It’s the right
thing to do.” This used to be a very prominent reason given
by job developers and other professionals working with
people with disabilities back in the early 90’s. However,
business has changed, the economy has changed, and the job
market most definitely has changed. Recently, I asked
myself, “Have people with disabilities changed? Have we
learned to adapt, compete, and excel in today’s economy and
competitive job market? Have professionals working with
people with disabilities changed, adapted, and adjusted to
truly support the job search and career development of
people with disabilities? I had to sadly answer myself with
a resounding, “No”.
Today’s employment atmosphere, however, is dramatically
different than past years to put it mildly. The job search
process is highly competitive. I would go so far as to say
that in most cases it is an employer driven market.
Employers for the most part have an overabundance of
candidates vying for their positions. Many times, they even
have an overqualified job candidate pool. This is not true
in all cases but it is in a majority of situations. So here
is the real question: “If I am an employer who has an
abundance of job seekers in a highly competitive market, why
hire a person with a disability?”
The answer, in my opinion, should be “perspective”.
People with disabilities, in many cases, bring a distinct
and special skill set and a perspective and vantage point
rarely possessed by non-disabled candidates. Many people
with disabilities, not all, but many, have developed
perseverance, adaptability, and analytical skills not even
fathomed by their non-disabled peers. They also bring a
valuable perspective that employers can definitely
capitalize on and use to gain market share.
In business, as I teach in many of my training sessions,
everything is ultimately all about the bottom line. What can
you potentially bring to the team that is of value and is
going to add to the success of a company? We, as people with
disabilities, would be well-advised to always keep this in
mind, “What do I have to offer that is going to add (not
detract) from my employer’s success and how can I capitalize
on these assets and communicate them to my potential
employer?” We must bring something to the proverbial table
that the employer is lacking or needs more of to be
successful.
We, as people with disabilities and professionals with
disabilities, have to be ready to develop a strong skill set
that, combined with our unique perspective, will make us a
commodity readily valued by potential employers that we
encounter throughout our careers.
In the past ten years, I have gone through my own
paradigm shift. Whereas I used to view it as a liability, I
now consider my disability to be an asset and a valuable
part of my professional skill set. For me, it should be
primary asset to be considered by anyone deciding whether or
not to hire me for a position. My humor, determination,
social skills, analytical skills, and ability to size up
situations are all assets I would say I owe in a sense to my
disability. And I would not hesitate to give this credit to
my disability in a job interview.
There are a lot of talented people out there... with and
without disabilities. All things being equal, the thing we
all have to clearly know for ourselves is, “what sets me
apart” from those without disabilities and makes me
attractive and desirable in today’s economy and job market.
Okay, now the tough stuff… Because of today’s
competitiveness, we as people with disabilities, have to
absolutely understand there is no room for error. What do I
mean by this? Well, we need to realize we have to be
qualified for the jobs we are seeking. We must have the
skills, education, experience, and demeanor for the career
we choose to obtain. We can not go in thinking we are
entitled to the job. Now, I am not talking about not being
entitled to reasonable accommodations. I am talking about
being responsible for knowing the industry “norms” and
“standards”. I am talking about going in and leaving our
“shoulder chip” and “attitude” at the door. I am talking
about ensuring that we not only have the education and
experience necessary to do the job, but have all the soft
skills as well.
I have seen too many people with disabilities lacking
soft skills - which instantly takes them out of competition
in today’s job market. Whether it is knowing that you need
to be on time to work, how to call in sick properly, or
appropriate office etiquette with co-workers, etc., people
with disabilities have to learn they, like any other job
applicant, are simply not going to be successful if they do
not adapt to what employers expect. In fact, I would venture
to say that we have to work harder than our non-disabled
counter parts to ensure we have the complete package that
employers are looking for.
So why is it that so many of us think that we are somehow
entitled to employment? Why is it that so many of us go in
thinking that the job and the employer had better adapt to
us? They absolutely will not. Now again, I am not talking
about reasonable accommodation. I am talking about things
like the, “I cannot work on Tuesdays, Thursday and every
other Fridays” kind of stuff. Why is it that people with
disabilities think that the employer needs to simply grant
their requests and demands, especially when the employer has
ten other people waiting to fill the position?
I think it is all about informed choice. I am currently
writing a practical guide for professionals about
effectively working with people with disabilities. In the
book, I talk heavily about the idea of professionals getting
“real” with their clients with disabilities. Not in a
disrespectful way, but in a manner that provides the best
support to the client. It is an absolute disservice to
clients with disabilities to not give them the true picture
of the business world. To not empower clients with the soft
skills they will need to effectively operate within the
business norms that they will face is irresponsible.
However, doing this can put the professional in an
uncomfortable place. While it may be uncomfortable for their
counselors or supervisors, people with disabilities often
need a strong dose of reality. While people with
disabilities need to be able to make their own career
choices, they will do it better if they are armed with the
truth – even if the truth is sometimes hard to hear. If
people with disabilities hear this information early and
start to develop all the skills necessary, both hard and
soft, they can become competitive and possess a sought-after
perspective truly valued in the work force.
The discretionary income of people with disabilities now
exceeds 175 billion. They prefer to spend it at places that
are comfortable and inviting to them. How does a company
align its goods and services to attract that customer base?
One way is to have people with disabilities represented
within their own diverse workforce.
I recently learned of a business situation involving two
banks. The first bank developed a product for more
effectively serving customers who are blind. In development
of that service, they utilized several of their employees
who were blind. The second bank developed a similar service,
however, their product was ineffective. They could not
figure out why. Well, you can guess why their service was
not successful. They had no one, staff or customer, who was
blind involved with the development or testing. They had to
go back and redo the development of the service costing them
time and money.
Now I am not saying that one staff member can represent a
whole particular disability group or the entire disabled
population, no more than one person of ethnic heritage can
represent a entire minority group. But perspective is valued
in business. Uniqueness and background make some people
extremely valued and sought after as employees. It is time
for disability to be a valued perspective and something
translated by job seekers into an additional asset they can
bring to the table. But, we can only get to this point if
and when the basics are covered. People with disabilities
must be able to compete with everyone else, in education,
experience and soft skills.
We need to value ourselves, be confident in our
abilities, and take great pride in that which sets us apart.
For when this happens, we can then answer the original
question, “Why should I hire someone with a disability?”
with “Because they are the best person for the job and also
bring you a unique perspective which will diversify your
company and help your bottom line.”
Shayn Anderson & Diversity Inclusion...
www.diversityinclusion.com 
