by Emily Comedis

Created on: December 12, 2008

Disability is not the same thing as Inability. Even those with permanent physical or mental disabilities have the potential to add to society with their creativity and effort. Also, one only has to listen to the effect of opportunity on their lives to know what it means to the Disabled person.

Some disabilities are not even recognized as such, while others are also difficult to identify unless the person has been exposed to some trigger activities. Fear of hiring people with disabilities arises more often from the negative pre-conception about disability wherein Disability equals Liability.

Yet many people with disabilities are gifted with talents, intelligence, and character which are sometimes even far from ordinary (consider Stephen Hawking). In fact, world history has been impacted by disabled persons like Franklin Roosevelt who lead the free world to victory from a wheelchair most of the time.

These and many other examples show just how little impact disabilities might have on person's skills and productivity. Hence there are greater benefits of hiring people with disabilities than not and leaving them an untapped resource needing to be supported.

Assuming that all applicants passed the regular screening, including interviews, and employer is now deciding who to hire, here are some benefits for hiring a disabled person:

1. By hiring people with disabilities, you are actually hiring focused, dedicated and loyal people. This doesn't mean that people without disabilities are the contradictory. But a successful organization is often filled with employees who have the right focus and dedication.

2. People with disabilities have some limitation that requires some accommodation, in themselves and potential employers. Thus they often compensate by developing desirable characteristics and attitudes.

3. Employers who hire people with disabilities are actually hiring (and building) specialists.

4. Your first disabled hiree won't be your last disabled employee. By hiring disabled persons, employers are actually building a network that could be an avenue for transferring special skills. People with disabilities who have mastered special skills and can transfer them to others with disabilities which will benefit your organization.

5. Employers who hire people with disabilities create a positive corporate image. Hiring people with disabilities is not charity. But bringing them into the organization is an exemplary act that models corporate responsibility.

People with disabilities have been denied of opportunities for job mainly due to prejudice, discrimination, and misinformation. Many enlightened employers choose to be proactive and start opening their organizations for these people. Society in general would benefit if more corporations adopted such an inclusive policy.

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