For a person living with an intellectual or developmental disability, it can be difficult to know how to start their job search. Job postings are rarely inclusive and the skills listed tend to be learnable skills instead of natural skills. A learnable skill can be, well, learned. But the things that make any one person different from the next, what makes them an individual, are often difficult to quantify.

Job postings, on a company’s career page or on a career search engine such as Indeed, are either vague or very specific which can deter a good amount of applicants from actually applying, particularly if that candidate is already feeling discluded.

If an applicant has a disability that the company should and could accommodate, then even adding a simple sentence such as "we are a fully inclusive employer" could go a long way. There are easy solutions that can be put in place to help hire someone with an intellectual or developmental disability.

The system needs to change. Employers need to start looking to fill roles based on the candidate's strengths and everything they bring to the table as an individual. Countless companies have benefitted greatly from hiring people who have an intellectual or developmental disability. Oftentimes, a person who has tackled the challenge of a disability can bring an entirely unique perspective and personality to a crew.

How to Recruit Individuals

Recruiters should be trained to consider candidates of all abilities. Their job is to place a candidate in the best possible position to succeed, which helps both candidate and company. It is important to exercise disability awareness and give all candidates a fair opportunity to be hired for a job. Recruiters can also partner with organizations that assist with these communities to create the best fit possible for a candidate. 

Advocacy Organization

By understanding the individual needs of someone living with a disability, you can help them integrate into your business and feel welcome as well. Also, being able to partner with an organization or organizations that specialize in effectively working alongside people with disabilities can lead to more hires for a company. The benefit of partnering up is to have more effective communication channels between the company, organization, and candidate. This can help the hiring and employment process run much smoother.  

The Proper Training Techniques 

A company that is able to encourage on-the-job training by adapting to someone's disabilities, benefits both the employee and the business. Once the potential barriers are addressed, proper training can be done. By having training on a case-by-case basis, employers would get a higher number of applicants. 

Inclusion For All

When accommodating a person with a disability, there's no one-size-fits-all. Everyone is an individual and each person needs different things to set them up for success. The different challenges that a person with disabilities faces on a daily basis should be taken into consideration–it's one of the major elements behind proper inclusion.

When a company commits to inclusion, its workforce adds value to every part of the business. For the companies that aren't staying ahead of the curve, they're missing out on qualified talent and a richer culture. By learning how to accommodate all individuals, companies may be able to reduce turnover rate across their workforce. 

Advantages of Working From Home

Over the past few years, working from home has become a much more common way to operate. Some studies have already shown increased productivity with certain business types. If your business is more of an office setting and does not need an employee to be on-site at all times, it's worth thinking about allowing remote work for all employees. This, in turn, may make your company more approachable for candidates with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Companies can be proactive and take advantage of the benefits of having remote employees. For example, a candidate with severe anxiety may be able to perform better from the comfort of their home. with that person set up in an environment that suits their needs, the company could just acquire someone who is an asset to the company and it's culture.