WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Many businesses throughout the United States continue to deal with staff shortages.
However, there is a population of people out there ready to get to work.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Getting Back to Work
The month of October is dedicated to National Disability and Employment Awareness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four people in the United States have some form of disability, many of which are sometimes limited when it comes to finding a job.
Disabilities can be physical or mental impairments, which can limit one's everyday activities.
While people with disabilities have protections such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, not even 18% of that population were employed last year.
While we've come a long way when it comes to inclusion, activists for people with disabilities say we've still got a long way to go.
"I do think there's a lot of business owners out there who might not see the worth of somebody, just because they look at them with a disability as something that inhibits them rather than enables them to do better," said Aimee Stern, founder of Mom's Club of Wellington. "And I think that we do have a long way to go for people to embrace that just because somebody has a disability doesn't mean that they can't do a terrific job and accomplish just as much as anybody else."
According to a study by consultant company Accenture, businesses that employ people with disabilities outperform businesses that do not. They say revenues are 28 percent higher, net income is twice as high and profit margins were higher by 30 percent.
The Department of Labor found that employers who hired people with disabilities saw a 90 percent increase in employee retention.
There are even tax benefits for those that make workplace accommodations.
