Written by Ted Kennedy, Jr., Chad Jerdee, and Laurie Henneborn
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal told the story of Nathan Mort, an employee of Gordon Food Service who tracks warranty claims and has a high-functioning form of autism. The article noted that the number of people with disabilities entering the workforce is rising — good news for the economy, for people with disabilities, and for employers.
Despite articles on the advantages that people with disabilities can offer employers, too many companies hold themselves back when it comes to hiring people with disabilities. They see hiring (some) persons with disabilities as being “the right thing to do” but do not see it as part of a talent strategy that will benefit the company and outweigh what they see as the potential expenses and risk.