Perfectly Able: How to Attract and Hire Talented People With Disabilities

"Too many employers and their recruiters are unaware that addressing a disability is often only a matter of mechanics. There's a too-common assumption that being disabled means being unable. That robs an employer of the opportunity to consider people with disabilities as intelligent, capable, and often innovative people who just happen to have some faculty in disrepair."---Katy Jo Meyer, technical recruiter, Microsoft Corporation "We need a constructive dialogue between job seekers with disabilities and employers. Both are passing each other by---sometimes missing each other by miles. This book is intended to assist all employers and all job seekers to find one another. Not connecting is a loss for us all."---John D. Kemp, Executive Director, U.S. Business Leadership Network "Perfectly Able is full of insight and practical help for both job applicants and employers [that] is utterly compelling and convincing....Every employer in the world should have a copy on his or her desk."---Robert W. Fuller, former President of Oberlin College and author of Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank Here's an eye-opening statistic that may radically alter your approach to recruiting, hiring, and diversity: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 22 million working-age people in the United States with disabilities---and they compose a massive, largely untapped employment pool packed with talent. Many of these potential employees are currently self-employed, underemployed, or working in volunteer capacities. And many, in overcoming challenges in their personal lives, have acquired the qualities that employers value highly---they are resilient, loyal, adaptable workers, creative problem solvers, and impressive bridge builders. These people will add strength and diversity to your workforce. Perfectly Able is your all-in-one guide to finding and keeping some of your best, most valuable employees. Packed with firsthand accounts of how people with disabilities handle workplace challenges and real-world examples of innovative HR strategies used by major corporations, Perfectly Able offers insights from eSight Careers Network, Lighthouse Internationla's online resource for job seekers, employers, and small businesses. This insightful, paradigm-busting book will help you redefine your recruitment and hiring practices and open your eyes to the untapped potential for building a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. Lighthouse International, founded in 1905, is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting vision loss through prevention, treatment, and empowerment. The organization's headquarters is in New York City.