Do Good and Positively Impact Your Bottom Line!
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month
Employment offers many benefits beyond financial compensation. It keeps us busy, challenges us, and adds value and structure to our lives. It gives us a sense of pride, purpose, and personal achievement. This is equally important for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and/or autism.
We have witnessed the positive impact of employment on many self-advocates we have worked with over the years. In some cases, it changed their lives in ways we could not have imagined.
Supporting Positive Change
Finding employment should be easy for job seeker with IDD and/or autism, especially when there are Help Wanted signs everywhere. However, employers are often hesitant to hire them due to concerns about a person’s abilities or how to accommodate their needs. They may doubt a person’s capacity to be a valuable employee, or assume it would just be too much work.
Meanwhile, many people work tirelessly to educate potential employers; making phone calls, meeting face-to-face, and leaving business cards all over town. They strive to change perceptions about people with IDD or autism, and find meaningful employment for those they support. Despite their efforts, unemployment among people with IDD and autism remains high.
We wanted to do something to support their mission. With this in mind, we developed a video series for potential employers. The series highlights the advantages of hiring someone with IDD and/or autism, and ways to support successful employment. Each of the three videos is under five minutes long.
The Power of Video
Video can be a powerful tool. It stirs our emotions, captures our imaginations, and challenges our perspectives. What’s more, we retain 95% of a message when we watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when we read it.
Reasons to hire
The first video in our series highlights the benefits of hiring a person with IDD and/or autism. There are many reasons to hire someone with IDD or autism. Hiring someone with IDD and/or autism speaks volumes to customers, showing that the business supports the whole community and believes in inclusivity. People with IDD and/or autism are an asset to any organization. Additionally, there are many financial incentives available.
Addressing misconceptions
The second video addresses some common misconceptions that employers may have about hiring someone with IDD, autism, or disabilities in general. Employers often believe it will be too much work, but what they really need is help. This video demonstrates that, with simple accommodations, someone with IDD and/or Autism can be a dedicated, hard-working employee.
Sharing success stories
The third and final video highlights the success stories of three self-advocates who are thriving in their places of employment. I had the opportunity to meet each of them at their workplaces, and I saw first-hand how valuable they were to their employers and customers. The time I spent with Lauren, Melissa, and Alex, are some of my favorite moments in my 25 years at Milestone HCQU West.
Start the conversation
Use these videos to help address employer concerns and start the conversation. Share them via email or social media. They can be viewed online or downloaded to a computer or mobile device. We also included a printable “talking points” brochure that you can leave with potential employers.
Additionally, Milestone HCQU West can provide training for employers and potential employers about working with a person with IDD or Autism. If you know a business owner or hiring manager who could benefit from such a training, contact us at 724-283-0990, or email HCQUinfo@MilestonePA.org.
Download any of the videos in this series.
Download the Talking Points brochure.
