Dive Brief:
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The U.S. Labor Dept. is trying to bring employers and talented people with disabilities together with new grants to six states (Calif., Conn, Idaho, Mass., Minn. and Md.) totaling $14.9 million as part of the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI).
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According to the Labor Dept., people with disabilities account for 19.8% of the workforce, but have more than double the unemployment rate compared to the general population. They also continue to face barriers finding work, and employers are not always attuned to how to reach them when recruiting.
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The latest grants are the seventh round of DEI funding, totaling $123 million since 2010. DEI funds improvements include increasing the accessibility of American Job Centers, training front-line AJC and partner staff, and increasing partnerships and collaboration, according to the Labor Dept.
Dive Insight:
The federal grants are focused on strengthening partnerships that ensure employers know what people with disabilities can do, according to the Labor Dept. For one thing, hiring a qualified person with a disability brings greater benefits beyond just filling an open job, according to experts. There’s a solid business case as well.
Humana, for example, has been a prime example of how an employer can benefit from hiring people with disabilities. A.J. Hubbard, director of inclusion and diversity at Humana, told HR Dive that the company looked at hiring people with disabilities as an opportunity. And the first step was "melting away those biases that we know exist." But most of all, "leading with inclusion" needs to be the focal point.