Job outlook brightens for people with disabilities

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Provider organizations and companies leaning too much on algorithms and artificial intelligence to scan resumes might be excluding people with disabilities from being hired and establishing a successful career. Photo from Adobe Stock.

North Dakota is above the national average in seeing individuals with disabilities as part of the workforce, but the people tracking the numbers said even more people could be part of the steady job growth.

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, assistance groups and agencies remind businesses and hiring managers workers with disabilities are a hidden talent pool.

Malinda Kragh, employment specialist for the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State University, said “mom and pop” style businesses are often more open to providing job opportunities than larger corporations and there are more barriers.

“We do find that it’s a little more difficult to connect with those bigger companies, to encourage them to hire individuals with disabilities,” Kragh said.

She noted it makes it harder for workers with disabilities to earn more money and improve their quality of life. Traditionally, the national disability unemployment rate is higher than in the general population. However, gains were seen after the pandemic. In North Dakota, the employment rate for working-age people with disabilities is nearly 20 percentage points better than the national average.

Kragh emphasized workers with disabilities bring a variety of skills to the table and should not be limited to food service and similar jobs. She encouraged larger employers with more diverse openings to gather input from provider agencies and customize platforms for jobseekers.

“I do notice that through online job applications, that it’s not quite as easy to get those skills and information out there,” Kragh added.

Her team recommended using video resumes, in which a person with disabilities can better describe their unique skills. Advocates said with remote work still a major force, employers can use the tool in hiring more people with disabilities.