People With Disabilities They’ve spent a lifetime problem-solving

51%

The estimated percentage of people with disabilities— both employed and not— seeking new jobs. Source: Kessler Foundation

The Case for Hiring Them

“If you think about people who have to navigate a world that was not built for them, you have to be a good problem solver.” CAROL GLAZER President of the National Organization on Disability

What Roles They Fill

People with disabilities range from greeters at Walmart to the late Stephen Hawking (left). “There is a bit of a craze now for hiring people with autism for tech jobs because the jobs lend themselves to repetitive tasks and require an eye for detail,” says Glazer.

How to Help Them Succeed

Companies should ensure the application process itself does not discriminate. Job descriptions sometimes include unnecessary requirements. For example, written tests may exclude the blind, while behavioral interviews, which assess things like eye contact, weigh against people with autism.

Worth Knowing

Glazer recommends that if a manager has a disability, he or she discuss it openly. “You can almost hear a sigh of relief go through the workforce when a senior leader discloses a disability,” she says.