One of the biggest challenges is finding new hires who have disabilities. It’s difficult because they might not have the opportunity to work in a job where their disability is accommodated. For example, someone with hearing difficulties might be limited to jobs that can easily be vocalized.

If you want to attract differently-abled employees, you’ll need to put structures in place to accommodate those disabilities. In this guide, HOPE TBI shares some key tips for making your workplace more inviting to more diverse people.

Ideas to Attract Differently-Abled Applicants

SHRM suggests creating a more inclusive culture, making sure your website can work with assistive devices, offering career planning opportunities, and more. Reasonable accommodations are also important for different types of disabilities, such as allowing for part-time work, providing accessible transportation options, or any other type of accommodation that would help support your differently-abled employees.

Incentives for Differently-Abled New Hires

You should also think about what incentives you can provide for people with disabilities. For example, what if you offer an internship program for people with disabilities and then hire them once they graduate from the program?

It’s a win-win situation because you are able to reach out to this target audience and offer them the opportunity for advancement while providing valuable experience and skills training at the same time. Offering career planning opportunities can also help attract differently-abled new hires. It’s important that they have opportunities to think about their long-term plans in order to feel confident and empowered in any role they pursue.

Revamp Your Recruitment Process

When it comes to recruitment, make sure you’re including all different methods of sourcing and hiring. Keep in mind that people with disabilities are a viable pool of talent to consider when you’re looking for new hires.

For instance, IMPACT notes that you can make your website more accessible to those who need different types of assistive devices by making sure everything is in plain English and using contrast colors for text. You can also offer opportunities at your company for internships or mentorships for those with disabilities.

Finally, think about how your process may be excluding this group from applying. Maybe you don’t have an option on the application form for people who have certain types of disabilities? In order to find out where this might be happening, provide contact information on the application form so that people can ask questions.

Create a Budget for Reasonable Accommodations

If you’re interested in being an employer of differently-abled individuals, budget for reasonable accommodations in the workplace. This includes office supplies and furniture that can be maneuvered to suit those who have physical disabilities. For example, consider providing a desk chair with wheels so that an employee who uses a wheelchair can roll from place to place instead of having to walk around the entire office.

Other accommodations may include louder alarms or bigger signs because some people with hearing impairments or dyslexia may not hear or read things correctly. Budgeting for these adjustments will help you attract more diverse talent to your company.

In addition, a critical housekeeping step is to establish yourself with the state to make sure you are compliant with tax laws. This is also essential in your EIN application, which is necessary for the IRS to use in payroll taxes and if you offer retirement plans.

Finding Differently-Abled Applicants

Michigan has several programs designed to provide disabled population services, as well as other related services. This is a good place to start if you want to connect with differently-abled people who are looking for employment.

HOPE TBI helps take the struggle out of finding resources and information when someone is faced with a trauma from a polytrauma or brain injury, and the resulting conditions from those injuries (acute or chronic pain, symptoms, experiences, processes, etc.) and various treatment options available. Connect with us today to find out more! hopetbi4ever@gmail.com

 GUEST BLOGGER: Diane Harrison of HealthPSA.info

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