Ready, Willing, and Disabled - HR Magazine - by Mike Ramsey

This HR Magazine article is a great example of why hiring disabled workers still makes good business sense 25 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Author Mike Ramsey discusses the story of aeronautical engineer John MacGuire, who broke his back more than 20 years ago, and how Lockheed Martin welcomed MacGuire back to work by accommodating his needs.

The article goes on to discuss how 1 in 5 (over 50 million) Americans have some type of physical or cognitive disability. Many of these people actively contribute to America's workforce once given a chance to demonstrate their abilities.

While huge strides have been made in the course of the last 20 years, there are still large numbers of highly skilled laborers who remain unhired or under valued in the marketplace. Employers who accommodate these workers have seen great returns on their investments when they accommodate disabled workers.

Disabled workers tend to have less turnover and higher worker loyalty. And employers who have tapped into this available workforce have seen their profits rise. Walgreens began making strides in hiring disabled workers 20 years ago. They have two distribution centers where 40 percent of the workers have some form of disability.

Download a copy of the article to learn more about how your company can benefit from hiring disabled workers.