Don't Hire Someone Because They Have a Disability. Hire Them Because They're Right for the Job.

Hiring someone with a disability shouldn't be an act of charity. It should be a hiring decision. Businesses have work that needs to get done. They need reliable employees, strong teams, and people who can contribute to their operations. People with disabilities are part of that workforce.

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we talk a lot about encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities. That's important, but how we frame that conversation matters.

The goal isn't for an employer to hire someone because they have a disability.

The goal is for qualified candidates with disabilities to have a fair chance to show what they can do.

Start with the job.

What needs to be accomplished? 

Which skills are essential? 

What can be taught? 

What makes someone successful in the role?

Then look at the person.

What are their strengths?

What have they learned? 

What are they interested in? 

Where might they need additional training or a different approach to learning?

Those are normal hiring and management questions. Sometimes an employee may need an accommodation or additional support. Sometimes they won't. Sometimes a job coach can help during training and gradually step away as the employee becomes comfortable in the position. None of that changes the basic reason someone should be hired. They're there to do a job.

When we stop treating disability employment as charity and start treating people with disabilities as part of the available workforce, the conversation changes.

It becomes less about what an employer is doing for someone and more about what an employee and employer can accomplish together.

That's a much better foundation for a successful working relationship.