Impact to Inclusion: Inclusive Businesses Have Impact

“Impact!” This is terminology leading executives recognize. Impact has become a buzz word among business professionals. Surprisingly, few can discern what, if any, “Impact” they make. Yet, for businesses today, emphasis in defining their company’s impact is key to ensure growth and success.

“Inclusion!” This is another less common buzz word that is gaining momentum fast! Inclusive websites are already a part of legislation for government agencies and their contractors. Less surprisingly, most business professionals reference inclusion to be a workforce with people of different races, genders and cultures. However, inclusion is specifically defined as the full and successful integration of diverse people. Diversity not only includes people of different races and cultures, but it also refers to the inclusion of people with disabilities.

So, what does impact have to do with inclusion? When a company begins to examine all the factors that influence impact, they begin to recognize basic elements that are central to inclusion as well. As companies assess core values, they are led to identify their customers, distinguish purpose in their workforce, and realize strategies to improve both customer and staff satisfaction. The connection becomes evident: diverse customers need a diverse staff with an accessible environment in order to develop success that translates to impact.

In effect, companies committed to inclusion are companies who are committed to impact!

Visit the link below to learn more on how top companies with immeasurable impact have incorporated disability inclusion:
https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/legacy/reports/Disability_final_v2.pdf

Business Case for Hiring Workers with Disabilities

Hiring qualified people with disabilities brings greater benefits: increased revenues through accessing new markets, reduced hiring and training costs, increased shareholder value and retention, and increased marketing potential.

Tax Credits for Hiring People with Disabilities

Myths vs Facts

• Myth – Workers with disabilities do not have the right skills to work.
• Fact – Workers with disabilities have proven strengths and qualities valuable to the workforce.

• Myth – Workers with disabilities have poor job performance and are hard to manage.
• Fact – Workers with disabilities have the same or better performance ratings than non-disabled workers. A Harris poll revealed that 82 percent of managers claimed it was not any harder to manage workers with disabilities than nondisabled workers.

• Myth – Workers with disabilities have greater absences and cannot be relied upon.
• Fact – Workers with disabilities have fewer absences and job changes than their peers without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are reliable and loyal employees.

• Myth – Supports (accommodations) are too costly to hire people with disabilities.
• Fact – 73 percent of people with disabilities don’t require any accommodations. More than half of the 27 percent needing accommodations had costs lower than $500. The most common accommodation is a flexible schedule.

• Myth – Poor safety ratings and higher workers comp. insurance rates.
• Fact – Employee safety ratings are found to be the same or better for employees with disabilities versus non-disabled employees. In addition, insurance rates are not based on whether the company hires workers with disabilities.

• Myth – Hiring people with disabilities can adversely affect a company’s bottom line.
• Fact – The opposite is true! Hiring people with disabilities provides businesses with a competitive edge.

Beginning the Path to Inclusion

Businesses with a Competitive Edge
There are many benefits to hiring people with disabilities! So, how can your company successfully recruit qualified workers with disabilities? The first steps to successful recruitment and hiring workers with disabilities is to begin developing an “Inclusive Business Culture” within your company. An inclusive business culture is the full and successful integration of diverse people in a workplace.

Become a company with a competitive edge by fostering inclusion. Initial steps include: Generating buy-in from your executive staff. Success begins with leaders who foster inclusivity!

Educate Human Resource Staff on all aspects of an inclusive business culture.

Develop a plan that incorporates employee-wide training on the fundamental behaviors and the essential elements of an inclusive business culture.

Implement your plan, and begin recruiting valuable, qualified employees!

LATAN offers inclusion training for businesses ready to begin their path to an Inclusive Business Culture. Due to the unique needs of each business, training is tailored specifically to your company’s goals for inclusion. For more information, contact our training specialists at 800-270-6185 or email us at demos@latan.org.