Hire employees with disabilities
Hiring individuals with disabilities can be a smart move for your business.
Now more than ever, small businesses are finding it challenging to hire talented workers. Hiring disabled individuals can help businesses meet their talent needs while strengthening their competitive edge. By hiring individuals with disabilities, businesses can:
- Expand their pool of talent
- Create a culture of diversity
- Meet their workforce needs
- Foster creative business solutions
- Generate goodwill among customers
A disability is considered a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Individuals with disabilities often need workplace accommodations—a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.
By investing in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talent—including people with disabilities—businesses can give themselves a competitive edge and demonstrate their commitment to inclusion.
How to hire individuals with disabilities
Find and hire talent
Everything you need to know to hire qualified disabled candidates.
Create an inclusive culture
Foster a flexible work environment open to the talents of all qualified individuals.
Learn how to make your work environment accessible and accommodating
Financial incentives
Financial incentives encourage businesses to hire individuals with disabilities and offset the costs of workplace accommodations.
The main federal tax incentives are:
- The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), available for hiring individuals from certain groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment.
- The Barrier Removal Deduction, whereby businesses can deduct up to $15,000 for making a facility or public transportation vehicle more accessible.
- The Disabled Access Credit, a non-refundable credit for small businesses that incur expenditures for the purpose of providing access to persons with disabilities.
State tax incentives
There are also state tax credits for employers who hire people with disabilities.
Check your state office of tax and revenue for more details.