How Hiring the Disabled Means Good Business
Isn't it tough working with people who have disabilities?
Yes, it complicates things a little more. There were more things I had to consider. I would say some of the challenges I ran into in the beginning were truly understanding the disability. Because my business model is so different and I choose to hire so many people with different types of disabilities, I better understand how to make employees more productive. I have a business to run. At first we failed with some employees. One had a mental health disability and could not self-direct and could not get out of bed. So I let him go. Years later, he came back [and] said, "I really got my head on right." So this time we brought him into the office, and he has done wonderfully. You better know who your employees are. If one has young children, he might need to go to the pediatrician more.
Sounds as if there was an upside, too.
I saw the value of hiring people with disabilities. I never saw it as a negative. In fact, we have a very low turnover rate. Most people come with us and stay with us. They are very loyal, dedicated. They do whatever it takes to get the project done, under budget and early. And their attitude is so good. It's allowed me to better compete in the marketplace. Another advantage I didn't realize I would get is that if you're a person with a disability, you have no choice but to think outside the box. Typically, our world is not made for people who can't see or [are] in a wheelchair or can't use hands. I've got very creative people used to having challenges thrown at them in every aspect of their lives. These people run into inaccessible websites all the time.
advertisement
