BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
Hiring Disabled Employees CITY
CAMPUS
Hiring disabled workers has been described as a practice that employers should
consider more often, given the need for skilled knowledge workers. It examines
the advantages and disadvantages of hiring disabled employees and also offers
recommendations.

SUBMITTED
BY:
AAQIB
NAZIMUDDIN
ABRA JAVED
AHMED ABDUL

Table of Contents
Executive Summary:................................................................................................... 2
Letter of transmittal................................................................................................... 3
Introduction................................................................................................................ 4
Decent work barriers............................................................................................... 5
Disabled people as Employees................................................................................... 6
Research..................................................................................................................... 8
Primary Research:................................................................................................... 8
INTERVIEWS......................................................................................................... 8
SECONDARY RESEARCH:........................................................................................ 10
Recommendations:................................................................................................... 13
Conclusion:............................................................................................................... 14
APPENDIX:................................................................................................................ 15
REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 16

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Executive Summary:

Disabled human beings are also part of the same society as all the other people a
part of this world therefore they are entitled to equal rights and opportunities as
deemed fit by the eyes of the society and law. Hence, todays generation making
the world an unequal employment place for such people does not have the rights to
do this. They are normal human beings, and if less blessed than the others, it is our
responsibility to make them feel like equals because they go through their own
deprivation and ego issues which affect them negatively.
This report analyses the issues and barriers faced by disabled workers for finding
equal and rightful employment which initially begin with the unequal provision of
education and skill set of the disabled people to actually be able to compete with
the other applicants. They also faces stereotyping issues, are prey to psychological
abuse and also face the issue of implementation of proper legislations and rules to
allow employment in their favor. However, via the research conducted in the form of
interviews and articles, we came across the various advantages of hiring disabled
people such as low employee turnover because they value their appointment more,
increases the overall morale of the firm because the firm in question is performing
corporate social responsibility. Lastly, with the aging population, it is of dire
importance for the firms to employ disabled workers and increase their pool of
workers as disabled people, also a part of society, and having insights of the
consumers psyche as they themselves are also a subset of consumers can provide
different ideas and skills to the workforce. They also encourage patience and
adaptability in the organization, along with acceptability.
For the purpose of research, we conducted interviews with the private and public
sector to understand their stance on the employment of disabled workers. Thus, we
came across issues of hiring disabled workers such as low morale, high costs
associated with employing disabled workers, myths of hiring them and the mistrust
of the disabled workers in the system.
Lastly, we analyzed the recommendations by the public sector to promote the
employment of disabled workers and how the government aids the disabled workers
in attaining jobs.

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Letter of transmittal

This report Hiring disabled workers" has been described as a practice that
employers should consider more often, given the need for skilled knowledge
workers. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of hiring disabled
employees and also offers recommendations.
The report is being submitted to Sir Usman Nazir for the course Business
Communication.
It includes the current situation of organizations regarding the employment of
disabled employees, the advantages and disadvantages involved. Interviews by the
private sector and the public sector were conducted for the purpose of research and
analysis. This report addresses the issue and provides recommendations based on
the primary and secondary research.

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Introduction
Being disabled should not mean being disqualified from having access to every
aspect of life Emma Thompson.
Disabled persons comprise more than 600 million people worldwide. While many
disabled persons are successfully employed and fully included in society, as a
group, disabled persons face disproportionate poverty and severe unemployment.
A lack of global data about their numbers and situation is only one piece of
evidence supporting the discrimination and exclusion they often face. The 2011
data verifies the fact that people with disabilities, are less likely to have access to
education, training and employment of any kind. When they do work, disabled
persons are more likely to be underemployed, to earn less money, experience less
job security and have fewer chances for advancement. In other words, disabled
persons, and especially disabled women, are less likely to find decent work.
It is not surprising then that an estimated 20 per cent of worlds poor are persons
with disabilities. It is difficult to gauge how severe the problem is, since typically
only the high income countries gather reliable data and labour force participation
rates when it comes to disabled persons and, in these countries, disabled persons
are more likely to have access to the services and experiences that lead to decent
work.
Yet, even in high-income countries, the figures still illustrate the barriers disabled
persons face. In Australia, for example, only 53 per cent of disabled persons, as
compared to more than 80 per cent of non-disabled persons, are employed.
Similarly, in the United States, about 50 per cent of disabled persons have jobs; but
only 26 per cent of those considered severely disabled are employed. In the
European Union, 42 per cent of disabled persons are in employment compared to 64
per cent of non-disabled persons; and significantly, 52 per cent of disabled persons
are economically inactive, compared to 28 per cent of non-disabled persons. In
South Africa, 19 per cent of disabled persons were in employment in 2010,
compared to 35 per cent of the whole population.

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Decent work barriers

People with disabilities cannot attain decent work if they do not have access to
education, training and employment services and other social and development
experiences that enable them to acquire employability skills. Other decent work
barriers that disabled persons face include:
Fears, stereotypes and discrimination about disability at all levels of society,
including among employers
Lack of effective legislation or policy support to address their rights to full
participation in society and the workplace
Lack of information about people with disabilities, which can render them
invisible and forgotten
Lack of access to assistive devices, technology, accommodations, support
services and information
Inaccessible buildings and communication and transportation systems
Psychosocial issues that can arise from years of social exclusion.
Yet, when barriers are reduced and opportunities open up, disabled persons
consistently demonstrate their ability to participate, thrive and contribute to the
workplace and the economy.

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Disabled people as Employees

In todays global economy, managing diversity is a major factor in a companys
efficiency, productivity and overall business success. Many multinational companies
and small and medium businesses alike have discovered the potential of people
with disabilities to make significant contributions to the workplace.
For other companies, however, the recruitment, hiring and retention of disabled
workers are not a component of their diversity strategies. Fears, myths and
stereotypes come in all forms and are probably at the root cause of much
discrimination and exclusion (Moving forward, 2002). In the workplace, for example,
the fear that people with disabilities will be less productive than non-disabled
workers is simply not the case. The fear that the costs of accommodating disabled
employees are high and unreasonable is dispelled by the facts. In the United States
it was found that most disabled employees do not require any accommodation and
when they do the cost is typically less that $500 USD.
There are many reasons in todays world which have actually helped the disabled to
find employment. One of which was mentioned above, the diversity which has
become an integral part of the organizations these days. Other than that, theres a
high usage of technology these days. This reduces the manual work in
organizations, because of which disabled people are trusted with the work as they
have to work with machines and not slowly their physical and mental strength.
There are many advantages to the companies as well when they hire the disabled
people.
People with disabilities make good, dependable employees. Employers of disabled
workers consistently report that, as a group, people with disabilities perform on par
or better than their nondisabled peers.
Also People with disabilities are more likely to stay on the job. The costs of job
turnover, such as lost productivity and expenses related to recruitment and training,
are well known to most employers.
It is also seen that hiring people with disabilities increases workforce morale
(Moving forward, 2002). Many employers report that teamwork and morale
increases when disabled workers become part of the staff.
People with disabilities are an untapped resource of skills and talents. In many
countries, people with disabilities have skills that businesses need, both technical
job skills and transferable problem-solving skills developed in daily life.
Its true that people with disabilities have insight into an overlooked and multibillion
dollar market segment. That market is made up of disabled persons and their
families and friends. The annual disposable income of disabled persons is estimated
to be US$200 billion in the United States, US$50 billion in the United Kingdom and
US$25 billion in Canada. Ignoring this market may mean losing not only the disabled
consumer but his or her family and friends. It makes sense to have employees who
are disabled and know first-hand about product and service needs of this customer
base.
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It is not all an advantage to hire disabled people. There is always another side to it.
According to companies it is easier than they think when hiring disabled people.
Disabilities sometimes mean that an employer is not able to work at a pace
comparable to other employees. For example, it may take longer for someone with
a physical disability to move equipment, while someone with a mental disability
may take longer to read and interpret documents. This sometimes makes a
difference in jobs where the ability to keep pace affects other functions of the
company, such as in a factory with an assembly line. However, it is not necessarily
a disadvantage in other companies, such as an art restoration business where the
quality, not the speed, of each project is more important.
Although with Disabilities Act and other laws have opened doors for the disabled in
the workplace and many employers strive to comply, disabled workers still can face
discrimination. For example, coworkers may resist having a disabled worker as a
member of their team if the specific disability the disabled worker has would slow
down a project. In some cases, these types of issues can force members of a human
resources department to intervene and settle conflicts, and the employer may need
to take time and resources to remind all employees about the definition and
consequences of workplace discrimination.
Not to forget employers are required to make reasonable accommodations to
workplace infrastructures so that a disabled candidate may work if hired. For
instance, they may have to install a wheelchair ramp or modify the physical aspects
of the employee's workstation. The employer has to take the time to arrange for the
accommodations, which sometimes means there is a delay in active employment or
completion of specific projects. Additionally, in some cases, other workers are not
familiar with the specific technologies a disabled worker may need. For example, a
software specialist who is an expert in company-specific or standard software
programs may not be as familiar with a speech-recognition program and therefore
may need some time to troubleshoot problems. There may be fewer people on site
who can assist the disabled worker if the infrastructure or technologies become an
issue. However, these accommodations and delays are not necessarily a financial
burden on the employer, as the productivity and loyalty of the disabled employee
often more than compensates for the expense of the changes and wait periods.

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Research
Primary Research:
INTERVIEWS

We conducted two interviews to assess the hiring of disabled people and the
advantages and costs incurred by firms for these. To attain perspective, we
interviewed employees of a private NGO and the government sector.

Dr Waseema Abbas, a medical trainer at Marie Stopes Society (A British NGO) was
interviewed. This NGO works for family planning and health care for those who
cannot afford to do so at normal cost. When we interviewed Dr. Waseema, she told
us that Marie Stopes Society does not employ disabled people because their aim
has always been to provide choices to the consumers in health care which requires
intensive work followed by meticulously done procedures therefore, disabled
people, if hired would themselves feel a disadvantage as they would be unable to
properly contribute. To this, we questioned them on hiring them for clerical and
administrative work. She told us as Marie Stopes is an NGO for those who cannot
afford to do so at normal cost, and it works to make the life of the underprivileged
better, so they perform social responsibility by hiring those at clerical positions who
lack the education and skills, and developing them so that either they can progress
in this organization or leave this organization by being more self-developed and
independent than when they joined it.

For the Government sector, we interviewed Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shallwani, who is the
Director General for Information, Media and Public Relation in the Government of
Sindh, Karachi. He informed us that the Government sector has specified criteria of
employing 3% of the total appointments annually. He told us that this is done to
prevent discrimination and to provide equal employment opportunity because, at
the end, disabled people are also human beings with rights.
The appointment of disabled people has been very advantageous for the
government sector, Dr. Zulfiqar told us. This is because the disabled people prefer
not to travel as much as the other officers and hence, the transportation cost is
reduced and Government resources do not go to waste.
Moreover, as they are employed on merit, they value their appointment, and work
hard at it, to prove their appointment. They are also never in a hurry to change their
position, unlike other government officials. Disabled people are also extremely
obedient and they try their best to save from brawls and arguments and thus are
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the most cooperative people. Such people are employed because they are the
neediest and deserving as this helps their self esteem and ego in a positive manner.
Their employment also reduces their feeling of deprivation and feeling redundant.
When we asked Dr Zulfiqar as to why the government sector employed disabled
people, he said because they are also equal citizens in the eyes of law and society,
and their disability is not their fault. They are extremely hardworking people, he
elaborated, as they want to be self dependent and not be a burden on the society.
However, costs are associated with employing such people. These include that they
are slow workers, and therefore slow output in generated so therefore, the
government sector has to accommodate for the extra time their output requires. At
times, special attention is also required by these people to accomplish and
complete a task successfully, and Government has to be accommodating enough to
give that. Such people are usually low on motivation and morale, therefore they
have a need to be constantly motivated to achieve their task.
On the topic of how the disabled people were promoted, we were informed that
because the aim is to make them feel an equal part of the society, they are
promoted as per the government laws.
In addition to this, Dr Zulfiqar also explained that the Government does have set
criterions for the recruitment of disabled workers for all the fields of work, however
because of weak implementation of the government policies, the efforts are futile.
He recommended that the Government should introduce and employ schemes such
as aiding the disabled workers with free transport to and fro the workplace so to
help them however, this could be provided for every 2 in 10 employees because of
high costs associated with it. The Fisheries sector of the government does gift free
bicycles and motor bikes to disabled people, but this is also practiced no more.

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SECONDARY RESEARCH:

An article in Forbes, published on 16/12/2012 by Judy Owens presents the trends in

employing disabled people worldwide. Many people globally are now venturing into
staffing companies with the aim of giving back to the society as their priority and
therefore, they start by hiring disabled people to help them because employing
disabled people is the best way to reduce labour turnover. Staffing companies
analyst on December 14, 2012 reported that Allegis group, the largest staffing firm
in the U.S. made a deal to acquire GettingHired.com, a job board serving people
with disabilities. We believe people with disabilities have been an underserved part
of the job seeking community, said Michael McSally, vice president, enterprise
operations, at Allegis. There are many talented individuals looking for employment
and many companies looking for a good fit for their organizations. This acquisition
reflects our commitment to helping connect this often underserved segment of the
population with good job opportunities. It also helps us meet the needs of our
clients, who are seeking to better understand and serve this population.
In a survey of private businesses and Federal agencies (1999), majority of human
resource professionals reported that they had accommodated workers with
disabilities in each of the following ways:

1. made their facilities more accessible

2. Created flexible human resources policies
3. Restructured jobs
4. Modified the work environment
5. Provided written job instructions
6. Provided transportation accommodations and modified equipment. Additional
accommodations available from a majority of employers, according to a 2010
survey, include flexible work schedules, telecommuting, and redesign of
workstations

Disabled employees are as productive as people who are not disabled because they
do not lag behind in mental agility. They have less time off sick because they are
involved in fewer activities and thus, rest more. They also have fewer workplace
accidents and tend to stay on jobs longer because they value work over those who
arent disabled as they are always in the search of higher paying jobs. There are
more than 11 million disabled people in the UK which is a large consumer base
who spend 50m and 80m annually. Having inside knowledge of this market has to
be beneficial to any enterprise's bottom line.

The benefits of hiring disabled people include:

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1. The companies gain a wider pool to choose their employees from owing to
shortage of talented people. This is because skilled workers are getting older and
thus there exist fewer skilled people in the current labor pool. This shortage is also
affecting business growth, as proven by the Canadian Employee Relocation
Councils consensus (2006).
2. Customers are becoming more heterogeneous and companies need to reflect the
markets they serve to better serve and understand them. Hiring disabled people
gives them perspective of the consumers targeted, and also shows to the customers
that the company values CSR, and embrace diversity. These diverse set of
workforce are means of promotion of creativity, innovation and decision making.
3. Hiring of disabled workers increases the work morale of the staff because the
company or firm hiring is seen as one which is working for a good cause and thus
they become an employer of choice.
4. Reputation & Brand - according to a University of Massachusetts survey, 92% of
the American public view companies that hire people with disabilities more
favorably than those that do not; 87% of the public also agree that they would
prefer to give their business to companies that hire people with disabilities.
5. Procurement process & tender documents increase in companies seeking
information from suppliers on their employment and CSR programs and encouraging
tenders from diverse suppliers.
6. Risk management - compliance with legislative requirements and meeting
international standards reduces litigation risk.
By doing that, businesses let their customers know that they both value and
embrace diversity. Numerous studies suggest that diverse, heterogeneous teams
promote creativity, innovation and better decision-making. People with disabilities
can add to the diversity of thought that brings a fresh perspective and innovation to
the workplace. By maximizing the well-being and contributions of people with
disabilities, businesses can leverage the strength and competitive advantages of
diversity .as our population ages. To find the people needed to fill these positions,
businesses and governments must look for talent in every corner in the community
and be more open about whom they will hire. People with disabilities are part of an
untapped market people with a variety of skills at a variety of levels. However, the
challenge here lies in convincing the corporates that employing disabled people is
not expensive, which a myth is evolving around evidently. Research proves this is
not the case, as those employing disabled people are also given certain advantages
such as federal tax incentives as certified by the US Small Business Association.
Moreover, no costs are involved other than patience and timing. With special
attention in the beginning, and the working gaining his self-esteem back, this cost
can also be minimized. According to a paper commissioned by the World Bank, the
cost of exclusion based on disability is between US $ 1.37 Trillion to $ 1.94 Trillion of
the global GDP. These costs are not only shared by businesses, but society too.

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Another challenge faced is the mistrust of the disabled people in the system where
they do not trust the motives of the system employing them, judging them on
employing them for the incentives offered by the government. This mistrust can be
dealt with by publicizing that only workers and applicants will be appointed on merit
only, and making sure the criterion is presented on media, so that they can trust it.
Additionally, in general cases, disabled people usually dont reach out to the
recruitment process of companies because of mistrust for the system, and fear of
singling themselves out. Other than that, the mode of awareness of availability of
jobs also doesnt works in their favor, for example a visually impaired person would
be unable to read about the availability of jobs.

On the other hand, according to the New York Post, updated on 14 May 2013,
Manhattan families hire disabled or handicapped tour guides to cut lines in Disney
theme park. This has become a new source of income, earning them around $130 to
$380 per hour. This can be termed as means of exploiting the disabled people which
again adds to mistrust that there exists for their provision of jobs.

Initiatives taken:
The Federal Government of USA is actively recruiting and hiring persons with
disabilities by offering a variety of exciting jobs, competitive salaries, excellent
benefits, and opportunities for career advancement. As the Nation's largest
employer, the Federal Government has a special responsibility to lead by example
in including people with disabilities in the workforce. On July 26, 2010, President
Obama issued the Executive order, which provides that the Federal Government
must become a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities. This is not
only the right thing to do, but it is also good for the Government, as it increases the
potential pool of highly qualified people from which the Federal Government draws
its talent.
Disabled people can be hired in two ways: competitive and noncompetitive. In
Noncompetitive hiring process, agencies use a special authority (Schedule A) to hire
persons with disabilities without requiring them to compete for the job. In the
competitive process, applicants compete with each other through a structured
process designed by the law.

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Recommendations:

1. Increased use of technology so that disabled people can see themselves fit for
some tasks, if not all.
2. Job splitting or carvings i.e. the breakdown of a big job into smaller ones so that
disabled people can perfume the tasks.
3. Providing special packages for those who are disabled so that they can compete
with non-disabled people, for example providing them free transport fro and to work
so that they do to feel redundant.
4. Quotas should be set by the government for firms to employ disabled people and
strong check and balance should be practiced by the government to ensure the
rules and regulations are followed.
5. Trust in the system of employing should be gained so that the disabled know that
they are not being hired for the purpose of attaining benefits promised by the
government.
6. Merit based employment should be done.

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Conclusion:

Disabled human beings are also part of the same society as all the other people a
part of this world therefore they are entitled to equal rights and opportunities as
deemed fit by the eyes of the society and law. Hence, todays world making the
world an unequal employment place for such people does not have the rights to do
this. They are normal human beings, and if less blessed than the others, it is our
responsibility to make them feel like equals because they go through their own
deprivation and ego issues which affect them negatively.
Several advantages of employing a diverse set of employees exist. Hence, disabled
people also can contribute to this set because they are also part of the same society
and hence, are equals and consumers for businesses, customers to services and
hence, they carry on ground hands on knowledge of the field that we hope to be
able to cater to through our products and services. Employing disabled people gives
us insight into the mind of the consumers that business aim to please. An increased
pool of employees increases competitiveness and hence, a polished set of
applicants are there for the businesses to choose from therefore, they are also open
to different ideas and new thinking styles. Employing disabled people helps the
other employees attain perspective, gain insight to the two sides of the story,
increases patience level in employees and acceptability. Moreover, it also provides a
change to the disabled people to prove their value to the society and not feel like a
burden. Federal tax incentives and other modes of promotion recruitment of
disabled workers has been introduced by the government.
However, the disabled people mistrust the organizations employing them for
reasons such as taking advantage of the benefits by employing them which hurts
their ego. Employees associate costs with employing disabled people such as
patience, slow work, special arrangements but at the end of the day, disabled
people prove to be the most patient and loyal workers because they value their
employment, as proven by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shallwani. Hence, the government of
Pakistan should employ promotion schemes for recruiting disabled people so that
they are part od the same society we all are a part of, equally and they can
contribute to the GDP and Economic growth, which Pakistan direly needs. The
working age of the current working population is increasing and thus, expanding the
pool to these people is a feasible option therefore these should be employed.

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APPENDIX:

We would like to thank Dr. Waseema Abbas, a medical trainer of Marie Stopes
Society which is a British NGO for letting us interview her for the purpose of our
research for this report. We thank her for her cooperation. We would also like to
thank Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shallwani, DG Information, Government of Sindh for letting us
interview him for our research and answering our questions in an informative matter
and helping with our report, and suggesting recommendations.

Q1. Are disabled people employed within your organization?

Q2. Why are disabled people employed in your organization?
Q3. Do you receive certain benefits for employing disabled people?
Q4. Do you think your output and firm attains advantages by employing the
disabled people?
Q5. What would you say are the costs of employing disabled people?
Q6. Any recommendations for private firms and public firms to employ disabled
people?
Q7. How can you promote the employment of disabled people?
Q8. Why are disabled people not hired in your organization?

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REFERENCES

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judyowen/2012/12/16/trends-in-employing-peoplewith-disabilities/
2. http://socialenterprise.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprisenetwork/2012/jan/24/social-enterprises-employ-disabled-people
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217147/
4. http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/
5. http://www.sba.gov/content/hiring-people-with-disabilities
6. http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/disney-world-scheme--entitled-families-hiredisabled-guide-tobypass-lines-194555620.html
7.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattndisney_world_srich_kid_outrage_zTBA
0xrvZRkIVc1zItXGDP
8. http://www.and.org.au/pages/business-benefits-of-hiring-people-with-adisability.html
9. www.ilo.org/abilityasia
Publications:
Moving forward (2002): Toward Decent Work for People with Disabilities - Examples
of Goof Practices in Vocational Training and Employment from Asia and the Pacific;
3rd edition
Courtland L Bovee: Business Communication Today (tenth edition)

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