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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year’s theme is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” People with disabilities bring many advantages to the workplace, but they still experience unemployment at a rate two times higher than people without disabilities.
What can be done to ensure people with disabilities have access to good jobs where they can utilize their skills and talents? Read on.
Employers: don’t miss out!
People with disabilities are a critical talent pool that can diversify a workplace and drive innovation. And some companies that create disability-inclusive workplaces experience higher revenues.
How do you make sure you don’t miss out on this segment of the workforce? Here are some suggestions:
See the JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit to learn more about building your inclusive workplace.
Workers: ask for what you need.
If you’re a person with a disability and a workplace barrier is preventing you from either getting or doing a job, you can ask for what you need – this is called “requesting an accommodation.” Just a few examples of the many things you could request include adjusting your work schedule, changing your computer set-up, or having a sign language interpreter.
If you want to request an accommodation, our Workplace Accommodation Request Tool makes it easy. Just fill out a short form and the tool will create a letter that you can send to the employer.
Also, our website has many employment resources you can use to learn about your rights in the workplace, the employment programs we administer, and more.
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