As people with disabilities face a stubbornly high unemployment rate, a new survey of hiring professionals finds that most companies are taking steps to recruit those with special needs.
Nearly two-thirds of the the 662 human resources staff surveyed in a poll out this week said that their companies include disability in their diversity plans and train staff on how to interview people with various needs.
What’s more, in 57 percent of cases, hiring managers said their companies have relationships with local groups that promote employment of those with disabilities.
The survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Cornell University ILR School Employment and Disability Institute indicates that large, publicly-traded companies are most likely to have policies and practices to urge hiring of those with disabilities.
In addition to policies, those behind the survey said that having a senior management team committed to hiring those with special needs appeared to make a big difference.
Despite the efforts, however, people with disabilities continue to experience high unemployment. As of March, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that 15.2 percent of people with disabilities were unemployed compared to 8.2 percent of the general population.
