Research highlights

Many companies today realise the value of DEI, but most focus on gender and ethnicity and pay less attention to people with disabilities. Employing people with disabilities is usually seen as a ‘social cause’; one best suited to non-profits or the public sector, and has led to disparities in the workplace. In the UK, people with some form of disability make up 20% of the working-age population, but their employment rate is just 53%, far less than the 81% rate for people without disabilities. This under-utilisation is not only wrong in terms of social equity; it is also, we argue, a missed business opportunity.

Through interviews, we examined a series of company case studies from a variety of industries, including a large shopping mall operator, a brewery, an advertising agency, and an IT company, among others. We also conducted several large sample experiments with potential customers and potential employees to explore how employing people with disabilities might enhance a firm’s appeal. Finally, we managed to run a survey with executives of 57 different firms that employ people with disabilities, to measure and ask them about their experiences.

Our findings suggest that four important benefits to companies can flow from employing disabled workers.First, disabilities often confer unique talents that make people better at particular jobs. Second, the presence of employees with disabilities elevates the culture of the entire organisation, making it more collaborative, which provides psychologic safety and boosts productivity. Third, being recognised as socially responsible gives a firm an edge in the competition for capital and talent. Finally, a reputation for inclusiveness enhances a firm’s value proposition with customers, who become more willing to build long-term relationships with the company, because they perceive them as fairer and feel that they’re contributing positively by purchasing their products or services. This, in turn, leads to a higher willingness to pay. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that – provided it is not done cynically for PR reasons – employing people with disabilities can be a source of real competitive advantage.