I know that there is much in the news media about the "recession" and the jobs being lost across the country. Yet I find it interesting that the unemployment rate in most parts of the country is still at or below 5%. In our recruiting services for clients in the graphic industry, we continue to find it difficult to get a sufficient number of applicants for most positions. In the latest 2008 job forecast from CareerBuilder and USA Today, 38% of employers report they currently have positions for which they can't find qualified candidates. But there is a mindset for most hiring managers about what is meant by qualified. It may be time for you to change your mindset.

When we post ads for our clients, we often get a qualification requirement that the applicant must be able to move freely throughout the building to gather information, materials, and authorizations. Intentionally or otherwise, this certainly could be used to disqualify applicants who are in wheelchairs or visually impaired. It would certainly discourage applicants who may have a disability. The end result is that a large pool of potential job applicants is not being considered by employers who are facing potential labor shortages in critical staff positions while they claim to be striving to increase diversity in the workforce.

Untapped Resource

Individuals with disabilities represent a larger segment of the U.S. population than any other single ethnic, racial, or cultural group. These workers make up a largely untapped labor source from which all employers should be—but are not—drawing from to meet their current and future talent needs. And that untapped labor market is only going to grow as the world's population gets older and increasing numbers of people acquire disabilities associated with the aging process.

I have already noted that unemployment overall remains very low. But on the other hand, the unemployment rate for college graduates with disabilities is 40%.

Employers often depend on college job fairs and employment services to bring new entry level workers into the organization, but some organizations have difficulty effectively recruiting and hiring students with disabilities. Hiring managers who are unaccustomed to interacting with the disabled may avoid them to prevent embarrassment and awkward moments. Others may worry that disability means lack of ability, and still others fear that accommodating disabled workers will be expensive or disruptive.

There also is a significant amount of public misinformation and misconceptions that disabled workers are less productive than workers without disabilities and that they are more costly to employ because they need special accommodations or might be heavy users of health care benefits. Training for students with disabilities and the managers who need them emphasizes capabilities, not disabilities. Looking past the disability to see the applicant's potential is necessary to overcome any reluctance or discomfort in recruiting and hiring students with disabilities.

Studies have shown that the average cost of accommodating a disabled worker is less than $500. What's more, many accommodations don't cost a thing. One solution being used by companies is to recruit students with disabilities as interns to familiarize both the students and their co-workers with each other. This is all part of training for managers, disabled persons, and potential coworkers to understand the value that they can contribute and to eliminate the misinformation and misconceptions.

Laying the Ground Work

Before starting any recruiting effort, I maintain it is essential to come up with an accurate job description. As part of that process, I would encourage owners and managers to look at the job to determine if individuals with certain types of disabilities might be able to accomplish the essential job tasks. There is no reason that individuals confined to wheelchairs cannot be successful in graphic design, prepress, or customer service roles.