Lessons from 50 years of advancing workforce inclusion for people with disabilities

Earlier this year, SourceAmerica^® celebrated 50 years of advocating for employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This milestone provides a natural opportunity to reflect on the strides many workplaces have made over the years to advance disability workforce inclusion. It’s also a chance for human resources professionals and employers to address the work that still needs to be done and identify the steps they can take to provide a more inclusive working environment for individuals with disabilities.

Evolution of the disability employment landscape

Disability employment advocacy in the U.S. has deep roots, beginning in the 1800s and accelerating with the 1938 passage of the Wagner-O’Day Act. The law sought to provide job opportunities directing the federal government to buy products made by people who are blind.

In 1971, the law evolved into the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act and enabled the government to purchase services from nonprofit agencies employing people with disabilities other than blindness through the AbilityOne^® Program. This expansion ultimately led to the 1974 establishment of SourceAmerica^®, which connects federal agencies with nonprofit organizations to employ individuals with disabilities. SourceAmerica has now played a vital role in matching talent with meaningful employment over the last 50 years.

In that time, we’ve seen a significant mindset shift among both federal and private sector employers. Employers once driven by compliance to offer jobs to people with disabilities now recognize the true value of a diverse workforce—both from an employee satisfaction standpoint and from a financial perspective. The AbilityOne Program generated nearly $4 billion in 2022 from the sale of products and services to federal customers, demonstrating the positive impact that employees with disabilities can have on organizations’ bottom lines.

The expansion of accommodations to include not only physical disabilities but also cognitive and emotional disabilities reflects a growing understanding of what an inclusive workplace entails. This shift has been propelled by legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and subsequent amendments that have helped solidify the right to reasonable accommodations.

Simultaneously, advancements in technology have enabled more inclusive workplaces for people with various disabilities by making accessibility tools more available and effective. Screen readers, text-to-speech programs and artificial intelligence-driven (AI) communication aids are a few examples of how technology advancements support employees with disabilities in navigating their work environments.

Today’s challenges in workforce disability inclusion

Despite significant progress, there is still work to be done to provide greater access to employment for people with disabilities. Currently, 63% of working-age people with disabilities in the U.S. still do not have jobs. What’s more, 93% of employees with and without disabilities said they want the private sector and government to take a more active role in supporting employment opportunities for people with disabilities. As the concept of disability evolves, it becomes increasingly important for employers to adapt their practices to meet the needs of a diverse workforce and tap into this underutilized labor demographic.

One persistent challenge is the stigma that people with disabilities face surrounding disability disclosure. A majority (59%) of people with disabilities reported leaving a job due to discriminatory acts, leading these employees to often hesitate to disclose disabilities due to fear of discrimination or misunderstanding. In fact, this reluctance can hinder access to necessary accommodations, negatively affecting job performance.

Conversely, some employers believe that providing adequate accommodations is costly and impractical, leading to the avoidance of hiring qualified candidates based on their disability. It’s crucial for HR professionals to understand what reasonable accommodations are and to approach accommodation requests with an open, supportive mindset. These accommodations can often make a significant difference for people with disabilities and are reasonable and effective. In fact, the Job Accommodation Network estimates that 56% of accommodations cost nothing and those that do, have a median one-time cost of $300. What’s more, employers report increases in employee retention, productivity and attendance after implementing these accommodations.

How to evolve employee practices for greater disability employment inclusion

Creating an inclusive workplace goes beyond hiring people with disabilities. It involves incorporating accessibility into every aspect of the employee experience, from recruitment to career development.

Some practical steps HR professionals can take to make the workplace more inclusive for those with disabilities include:

Implementing inclusive recruiting practices. By making the hiring process more accessible, you’re opening your doors to candidates with disabilities who otherwise may not have been able to apply. In the application process, clearly outline how applicants can request accommodations early on. These accommodations can include flexible interview formats and ensuring that online applications are screen reader-compatible.

Leveraging adaptive technology. Technology is key to facilitating disability-inclusive practices in the workplace. Tools such as speech-to-text software and voice recognition programs can help employees with various disabilities perform their job functions effectively. Advancements in AI are making communications tools more accessible at reasonable prices, making them easier to implement into the employee lifecycle.

Fostering a culture of inclusivity. It’s critical to define what accessibility means to your organization, commit to your accessibility goals and educate staff on their role in an accessible workplace. Encouraging open conversations about accommodation needs and giving employees opportunities to request tools or adaptations can make a big difference. This type of dialogue is critical to building trust among employees, reducing stigma and helping employees reach their full potential.

Committing to continuous adaptation. Accommodations are not one-size-fits-all and should evolve based on feedback and changing employee needs. HR should regularly review accommodation policies and practices to ensure they stay relevant and effective. This also includes staying up to date on advancements in accessible accommodations and technology that can help support your employees.

Leveraging organizations for support and resources. There are many resources like the Job Accommodation Network that offer a wealth of informative resources to help your company strengthen its disability inclusion strategies, including tools for recruitment, tips for implementing accommodations, strategies for leveraging technology, and more. You can also lean on the expertise of organizations like SourceAmerica and AbilityOne, which are dedicated to advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities and can offer real-world examples of successful disability inclusion in practice to help give you an idea of what’s possible for your organization.

Related: Why disability insurance matters to caregivers in the workplace

The future of workforce inclusion for people with disabilities

Looking ahead, we see promising trends in the disability employment landscape. The integration of employees with and without disabilities in shared work settings is beginning to expand, fostering more collaborative and inclusive environments that benefit all employees. Emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning, are making accessibility tools more powerful and affordable, enabling employers to more readily provide accommodations for employees to communicate and perform tasks with increased efficiency.

Legislation will also continue to shape the future of workforce inclusion for people with disabilities. In recent years, disability advocates have sought to eliminate Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which enabled qualified employers to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage. This enhancement would be groundbreaking, providing a living wage for hardworking people with disabilities.

At the same time, advocating for competitive wages has consequences for Social Security Insurance (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs. Due to earning and saving limits, a person with a disability working for a competitive wage can jeopardize these benefits, which are essential to their wellbeing and daily life. Current legislation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate offers ways to change and improve the earning and savings limits for these programs. The passing of these bills would help ensure the working population of people with disabilities can continue to work without the threat of losing essential benefits.

Reflecting on SourceAmerica’s 50-year journey, it is clear that advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities is an ongoing effort. The landscape of disability employment has evolved significantly, yet the work continues. HR professionals play a vital role in driving this progress by championing inclusive practices that support those with disabilities and adapting to the needs of a diverse workforce.

As we look to the future, embracing flexibility, leveraging technology and fostering open communication will be key to ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, has an equal opportunity to thrive in the workplace. It is time for organizations to not only comply with disability employment laws but to go beyond them, creating accessible environments where all employees can thrive and succeed.

Amanda King, VP of HR, Source America