It has been 33 years since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act – a landmark federal law that protects the rights of all people with disabilities. Globally, people with disabilities represent over one billion people or 15% of the population. We are 1 in 5 Americans, and twice as likely to be unemployed/underemployed than those without disabilities. Disability:IN and its Affiliates like Disability:IN Connecticut grew out of the belief that business has the power to include. Since then, we have been working to empower businesses in Connecticut and around the world to advance disability inclusion and equality.
At Disability:IN Connecticut, we know that people with disabilities are problem solvers and help companies drive innovation. In fact, “Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage,” a report based on data from the Disability Equality Index and published by Accenture in partnership with American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN demonstrated that companies that are prioritizing disability inclusion had 28% higher revenue, two times the net income, and 30% higher economic profit margins. It pays to be disability inclusive. Disability inclusion is a significant opportunity for companies to improve their performance, increase labor-force diversity, and develop a sustainable corporate culture.
It is a continuous journey to move the needle on employment and accessibility and we invite you to join Disability:IN Connecticut and commit to advancing disability inclusion. When you join Disability:IN Connecticut, you are demonstrating your commitment to advancing disability inclusion in your business. You are joining other businesses and their diversity and inclusion professionals who are committed to including individuals with disabilities in their workforce and Disability Owned Businesses in their Supply Chain. Through training and the dissemination of best practices, we have assisted businesses in Connecticut and their out-of-state subsidiaries in creating sustainable and replicable programs for tapping into a pool of qualified talent with disabilities. These businesses recognize that these initiatives can give them a competitive edge in our current “war for talent”.
Although there are many organizations which offer Diversity and Inclusion training and program assistance, to my knowledge, we are the only organization which offers this training from a business perspective. We invite you to join us and celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of the ADA with other outstanding businesses committed to disability inclusion.
For more information about joining Disability:IN Connecticut, please contact Sharon Denson, Executive Director at mailto:sharon@disabilityinct.org