People With Disabilities: Untapped Work Force
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October 30, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, MO - People with disabilities are a huge untapped workforce, according to the latest statistics. About half the people with disabilities in the U.S. who want to work have a job. October is Disability Employment Awareness Month; a time when thousands of Missourians with disabilities are looking for work and have the skills of which employers may not be aware.
Charles Nickolaus, with the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities, says raising awareness and educating employers will help get people with disabilities into the workforce. One of the greatest barriers is the perception that people with disabilities can't do the job, when actually, he says, in some fields, they are more than qualified and often bring a unique perspective to the job.
"People with disabilities often use a lot of technology in their everyday life. They're actually very well-suited for working in the technology fields."
People with disabilities often are covered by Medicaid, which Nickolaus says can be a good fit for a company struggling to provide health care for its employees. But, he says, that's not the only advantage.
"There are several tax credits for employers who have been extended, so that any kind of accommodations that an employer would need to make to the workplace, can be done at a very reasonable or no cost."
According to Missouri Vocational, state residents with disabilities who were assisted in getting community-based employment increased their incomes by a total of $46 million last year alone.