The SHRM Foundation and Workplace Initiative by Understood has announced the availability of a new, free training program focused on helping businesses drive disability inclusion in the workplace.
Only 13 percent of workplaces in the U.S. have disability-specific inclusion initiatives according to the 2019 Employing Abilities Work Research Report. This has led to great misunderstandings about the employability of people living with disabilities and an unemployment rate twice that of the national average.
Training program participants will advance through 12 micro-learning modules that define concrete steps to foster inclusion at work and outlines the business benefits of investing in disability inclusion programs. Courses focus on how to welcome and support employees with disabilities in the workplace. Specific courses include:
- Best Practices in Recruitment and Hiring
- Building a Culture That Supports Disclosure and Self-Identification
- Understanding the American with Disabilities Act
- Breaking Down Stereotypes; Building a Culture of Inclusion
“Hiring people with a disability is not about charity,” said SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP. “It’s about putting bias aside and hiring the right person for the right role. Even as organizations rethink their future talent strategies in today’s landscape, it is important they also consider individuals who have disabilities.”
