Guest column: Hiring people with disabilities helps build a diverse workforce

Jim T. Priest
·3 min read

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and as a person with a disability (Type 1 diabetes) and as president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, I want to urge all employers to make a concerted effort to hire people with disabilities and adopt inclusive policies and practices in the workplace.

Why? The worker shortage is one reason. As our economy works to recover from the effects of the pandemic, companies have a critical need for skilled and reliable workers of all backgrounds. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that just only 22.5% of Americans with disabilities participate in the labor force. That compares with more than 67% of people in the general population who are working.

The need for great employees is another reason. People with disabilities make up a dependable and valuable workforce and have higher rates of employee retention, which reduces hiring and training costs. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employers who have embraced disability as part of their talent and DEI strategy report:

  • 90% increase in retention of valued employees.

  • 72% increase in employee productivity.

  • 45% increase in workplace safety.

  • 38% reported saving workers comp and other insurance costs.

  • 28% reported increased profitability.

  • 90% of consumers surveyed say they would prefer to give their business to companies that hire individuals with disabilities.

A third reason is a commitment to DEI — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — which is gaining much-needed attention. Hiring people with disabilities makes a workplace truly diverse and inclusive while ensuring equity is pursued and achieved.

Goodwill wants to ensure all Americans who want to work can, and have access to services enabling them to do so. That’s why Central Oklahoma Goodwill hires people with disabilities and partners with other nonprofits serving the disabled like NewView Oklahoma and Dale Rogers Training Center. Goodwill hires people like David, a store associate in Stillwater who is nearly blind, but comes to work each day faithfully with his guide dog and is a valuable contributor to his store’s economy. Or employees like Taneka, who lives victoriously and joyfully each day serving our Edmond store shoppers and participated this year as a fashion model in our annual Work The Runway fundraising event. Their stories can be seen on our website.

In 2021, local nonprofit Goodwill organizations, like ours, across North America placed more than 140,000 people with disabilities into employment. Goodwill also provides support services like rehabilitation programs for people with injuries or illnesses, occupational skills training, and job readiness and soft skills training.

If someone you know needs assistance in finding a job or moving up the career ladder, Goodwill can help. If you operate a business, large or small, and would like to consider hiring persons with disabilities, but don’t know where to start, Goodwill can help you, too.

Forty-two years ago, a law firm employed a young man with Type 1 diabetes as a trial lawyer. It was the career start he needed. You can give a career start to someone, too.

Jim T. Priest is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guest column: Why employers should hire people with disabilities