Stats show people with disabilities have higher retention rates
Part 2 of 2
In part one I shared the story of my mom, who enjoyed a fulfilling career despite being diagnosed with a progressively debilitating disease.
According to the USBLN, over 22 million families in the U.S. include at least one person with a disability. People with disabilities also represent the largest minority in the U.S., with one in 5 adults living with some type of disability.
The USBLN offers a wealth of statistics on its website that make the case for hiring people with disabilities, including:
- Any one of us can become a person with a disability at any moment – Although a morbid thought, it is something important to consider. God forbid a person has an accident, a stroke or some other catastrophe happen to them – it doesn’t mean that their life is over. It just means adjustments will have to be made. Employers need to think about this too. Yes, they may have a qualified candidate apply for a position and that person also has a disability. They also need to face the possibility that one of their current employees could become disabled – requiring accommodations be made so that person can return to work.
- The disabled have fewer scheduled absences than their non-disabled peers.
- The disabled have an 80% lower turnover rate than employees without disabilities.
- The disabled have better attendance rates. For the previous 3 statistics, it boils down to the fact that most disabled people will tell you that they feel so grateful to have a job that they will work extremely hard to keep it. If you ask their employers, many of them will tell you they outperform non-disabled employees.
- 87% of U.S. consumers would rather do business with companies employing people with disabilities. We like to patronize companies who are socially, morally, economically, and ecologically responsible.
- 25% of accommodations have zero cost; 66% are under $500. The good news is that the cost of many of the adjustments that need to be made to the work environment to accommodate a disabled person can be paid for by state programs.
I hope the story of my mother’s ability to enjoy a long and satisfying career and these statistics have helped to remove any doubt about the employability of the handicapped. They are just like everyone else. They have the same feelings that we have, and want nothing more than to be productive and enjoy their lives. For more information, please go to USBLN.org.
About The Author – Ellen Contreras is a new business development manager at Pearl Interactive Network. She has worked in the staffing and recruiting industry for over 10 years. Working with business owners and job seekers, Ellen has had the advantage of seeing both sides of the coin. This is why she feels the need to share what she has seen and heard with others so that she can help people navigate the hiring process, either as the candidate or manager.