October, through National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is a time to commemorate the contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy.
And those contributions are substantial: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for disabled people hit a record high in 2023, with the employment rates for working-age disabled men and women reaching 38.2% and 36.1%, respectively.
However, disabled working-age adults still have lower employment rates than their non-disabled counterparts.
Disabled and neurodivergent workers can feel more welcome in the workforce, and employers can help close this employment gap, if they are celebrated for everything they bring to the workplace, experts said.
Employing workers with physical disabilities or workers who are neurodivergent is “an opportunity to learn more about each other and share experiences — and really just welcome all of us who we are as adults and people,” said Joseph Pancari, president and CEO at CP Unlimited.
Enhancing your workforce by hiring and welcoming all types of people
Making disabled and neurodivergent workers feel welcome at work starts with education, said Pancari. “It’s about viewing people — all people — as people,” he said.
Part of celebrating differences in ability will require filling an understanding gap. According to a March report from Eagle Hill Consulting, 68% of U.S. employees say they’re unfamiliar with the term “neurodiversity,” and only 22% are aware of working with a neurodivergent colleague.
Employers need to communicate openly and often the ways they seek to support workers with diverse backgrounds, especially those with disabilities, according to labor experts.
That work needs to be done in the same way that something like safety, collaboration, teamwork or innovation may already be, said Stephen Paskoff, CEO of human capital consulting company ELI. “That takes organizational commitment with leaders who realize to get the best talent and the best results and performance you’ve got to make it a business priority,” he said.
This work includes making employees feel safe disclosing a condition instead of facing potential backlash, or trying to work in conditions that are far from ideal to them. Employers can make it clear to their leaders and employees that “they will not tolerate discrimination,” he said — including repercussions and possible firing if someone makes repeated jokes, comments or insults, Paskoff added.
These kinds of attitudes also have no place in the hiring process, which can push good candidates away — and potentially open a company up to legal liability.
If an employee discloses a condition, it’s also on the employer to make sure that they learn as much as possible about it, and what accommodations employees need — whether that’s a change of physical setting, or perhaps a different role at the company. “An employer should have processes that are communicated and understood that if…you think you need some special assistance or what we call an ongoing accommodation, let us know and we’ll work with you,” Paskoff said.
Making accommodations
A company might be familiar with accommodations that help physically disabled employees, but they can also make changes to help neurodivergent workers feel like they can work to the best of their abilities.
For example, some neurodivergent employees may be more comfortable working in different lighting than standard office fare, or sensory rooms, said Pancari. Some workers may perform best in a quieter setting, and could possibly shift their working hours to earlier or later in the day when the work environment is less crowded and busy.
Employers can also hire job coaches, who “give a little more support and tracking for folks initially,” Pancari said. The goal is for the coach to eventually not be needed anymore, but their assistance “helps give a person the opportunity to work alongside everybody else, if you view them for their abilities rather than their differences.”
And employees shouldn’t be viewed as just how they’re different as if that’s a negative thing, added Paskoff. Instead of looking at neurodiversity as a disadvantage, employers should work with workers to see how that makes them better at other things — and not working with employees, or not creating an environment where they are comfortable showing who they really are means that “you might not even be aware” of the talents employees have.