Guide
The win-win guide to disability inclusion at work
Information, insight and advice for building an inclusive workplace that’s good for employees – and your business
We’re helping children with disabilities find their place in the world – and fostering accessible employment and disability inclusion at work is such an important piece of that puzzle.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, 37.1% of working-age people with disabilities were employed – compared to 75% for their non-disabled peers. And even when folks with disabilities have a job, they’re often underemployed.
That’s known as the disability employment gap – and there are lots of reasons for it. While equity and inclusion are high priorities for employers, disability often isn’t a part of the conversation.
“People might feel like it’s overwhelming – within the scope of disability, there is so much nuance. Even within the same disability, no two people are alike,” says Marisol Carmona, a Program Specialist for the Perkins Transition Center, a former Job Developer and Instructor at The IRIS Network, and a woman who is visually impaired.
“It might be complex, but if more people would humble themselves and accept that there’s learning to do about disability – and get comfortable with being uncomfortable – there would be room for people to ask questions and have conversations that aren’t currently happening. And eventually, as people know more, they’ll do better.”
In this guide, we want to give employers, disabled professionals, and their allies information and resources that will empower them to have the conversations and ask the questions that will get everyone past the discomfort so the focus can go back on the people and the hiring process – ensuring that the right folks are connected to the right jobs.
First things first: let’s talk about disability
You may be surprised to learn that 1.6 billion people worldwide have a disability – that’s about 19% of the global population. That means it’s very likely that you or someone you know lives with a condition that affects visual, auditory, mobility and/or neurocognitive experiences.
When you think about someone with “disabilities,” you may have to broaden the scope of who you assume fits in that category, because there are a variety of conditions to consider. Not all disabilities are apparent. And some are situational or cyclical – ranging from postpartum depression and multiple sclerosis to ADHD and anxiety.
The benefit of an inclusive workplace is having a diverse team with a variety of strengths, perspectives and skills – and to get there, you need to put assumptions aside.
To start, shift your thinking a little bit. Instead of wondering, “Could someone with a disability do this job?,” adopt the mindset that, if the person is applying for a position, the answer is yes. Because – like any good candidate – the individual with the disability understands their qualifications, what they’re capable of and what accommodations they’ll need to make it work for them.
Disability inclusion at work: benefits for the bottom line
Prioritizing disability inclusion at work is the right thing to do, for a lot of reasons. But it’s also good for business.
- A brand boost – and an untapped target market: According to the 2023 Disability Equality Index Report, in a survey of 2,200 U.S. adults, 84% said they have a more favorable impression of companies that are inclusive of people with disabilities in their advertising and marketing – and 80% want to do more business with these companies. Research conducted by the Howe Innovation Center shows that people with disabilities and their allies control over $18 trillion in annual disposable income. Companies that aren’t considering disability representation across all facets of their business – from staffing to culture and communications – are leaving money on the table.
- Tax breaks: There are tax benefits for companies that hire folks with disabilities. For example, in Massachusetts, employers can claim a state tax credit of $5,000 or 30% of the first-year wages for qualified employees with disabilities after 12 months of continuous employment. In subsequent years, the credit is $2,000 or 30% of wages.
- More talent (at low or no cost) with high impact: In the U.S., there are 21.8 million working-age adults with disabilities – and if you embrace disability inclusion, you’ll have access to a huge new pool of talented candidates ready to work and bring fresh points of view to your team.
But first we have to tackle a myth: many people believe that accommodating a person with disabilities will be expensive and, therefore, somehow not worth the trouble. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that nearly half of accommodations for disabled workers have no cost. The same report indicated that 43.3% of employers say accommodations involved a one-time cost, while 7.2% said that there were ongoing costs. The median expenditure reported by employers for one-time costs was $300, while the median for employers reporting an annual accommodation cost was $3,750.
That’s (literally) a small price to pay for creating an inclusive workplace for folks with disabilities.
Creating an inclusive workplace: tips for employers
Allies matter everywhere in a company. But if you’re in a leadership position – in management, human resources or serving in any hiring capacity – you have the power to make disability inclusion a strategic priority for your organization.
You can infuse accessibility and disability inclusion into the culture from the top down.
These resources can help you understand what disability inclusion really means – and why it matters:
- Prioritizing disability inclusion in the hiring process
- Harvard Business Review: Make It Safe for Employees to Disclose Their Disabilities
- Inclusive workplace: accommodations for employees who are blind
And when you’re ready to take action, check out the tips and best practices from our three-part employer toolkit – then share them with your team:
- Part 1: Creating an inclusive workplace
- Part 2: Allyship in the workplace
- Part 3: A how-to guide on disability inclusion for managers
Creating an inclusive workplace: tips for allies
If you haven’t known or loved or worked with a person with a disability, the topic may make you a little uncomfortable. What should you say? Or – maybe more importantly – what shouldn’t you say? How can you help? Should you help?
The fact that you want to be an ally is an excellent start. And while there will never be just one answer to these questions – because every person with a disability is an individual and will have their own preferences – these resources will help you get the conversations started in a way that makes everyone feel good.
Get to know the tech
Getting familiar with the (very cool!) tools that your colleagues may use for accommodations will give you interesting insight into how someone with a different perspective can approach the way your team works.
- Digital accessibility: what it is and why it matters
- DisabilityTech: Making the world more accessible for everyone
Don’t stress about what to say
“What if I say the wrong thing?” is typically at the top of the leaderboard for concerns about getting to know someone with a disability.
Our advice? Don’t overthink it. People with disabilities are, above all else, people. Like anyone else, they’ll have individual preferences – from what they want you to call them and how they set up their desk to things that irk them and things that make them laugh. Getting to know a colleague with a disability shouldn’t feel more stressful than meeting any new person.
Here are “cheat sheets” you can use to get started:
- The evolution of disability language and labels
- Person-first language made easy: The dos and don’ts
- Tips for meeting a coworker who is blind
Think about places and spaces
Disability inclusion encompasses everything from physical space to the company’s culture. These resources cover a little bit of everything to ensure you’re creating an environment of accessibility, accommodation and inclusivity.
- 9 simple ways to foster disability inclusion at work, school, and at home
- Five tips to create a disability-inclusive workplace
- 5 easy ways to make your workplace inclusive for someone who’s deafblind
- Accessible events: A guide
Finding your fit: tips for disabled job seekers
With employers and allies focusing on creating an inclusive workplace, we also need folks with disabilities to feel empowered to go out to pursue the jobs and careers they aspire to.
Here are some tips for disabled job seekers who are ready to make their next move:
- Navigating the disability employment gap: Inside info from a visually impaired job coach
- Disclosing disability to a potential employer: how, when and why
- Building a foundation for employment: keys to a successful internship
- 11 career readiness tips for people with visual impairment
- 9 ways to set up your home office when you’re blind or visually impaired
Thank you for prioritizing disability inclusion at work
Commitment to disability inclusion from allies like you gives us the power to help kids with disabilities find their place in the world.
No matter where you are on your journey, we hope this guide gave you tools to get to the next level.
Join our innovation community.
The Howe Innovation Center sits at the intersection of innovation and disability, connecting the entrepreneurial and disability communities to create solutions for a more accessible world.
Dive deeper into digital accessibility.
Perkins Access partners with organizations of all kinds to create digital products, services and experiences—websites, apps, multimedia and beyond—that engage and include everyone.
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