Building an Inclusive 

Workforce

A Four-Step Reference Guide to 

Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining 

Employees with Disabilities

Introduction 

STEP 1 - Understanding the Business Case 

STEP 2 - Creating an Inclusive Culture 

STEP 3 - Recruiting and Hiring 

STEP 4 - Retaining and Advancing Employees 

Resources and Links for Federal Agencies 

CD-ROM

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Disability Employment Policy

dol.gov/odep
Introduction

pp

make excellent employees, not all employers know 

how to effectively recruit, retain and advance 

such individuals. That’s where this booklet 

comes in. It’s a quick outline of four simple 

steps to increasing workforce inclusion, 

complete with Web links to resources 

available to help businesses benefit 

from the talents of qualified 

individuals with disabilities.

Student

(Continued on next page)
Introduction

The people featured in this guide 

are people with disabilities—not models 

—photographed in their workplaces. 

Some of their disabilities are apparent, 

some are not. They reflect just a few 

of the millions of people with disabilities 

who add value to America’s workplaces 

and economy every day.
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STEP 1 - Understanding the Business Case

AskEARN.org/businesscase

Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact

Summary of research revealing the low cost of accommodations 

for employees with disabilities relative to their positive impact

AskJAN.org/media/lowcosthighimpact.html

Tax Incentives

Description of various tax incentives for which 

employers who hire people with disabilities may qualify

AskJAN.org/media/tax.html

AskEARN.org/keyword-links.cfm?KeywordID=392

Business $ense

Monthly newsletter featuring disability-related 

topics of interest to employers

dol.gov/odep/businesssense

Disability Employment Policies in Practice

Photographic profiles of individuals 

with disabilities working in a variety 

of occupations and industries 

dol.gov/odep/profiles Mat McCollough, 

Executive Director 

of a Municipal Agency
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(Continued on next page)

STEP 2 - Creating an Inclusive Culture

Nationwide campaign that offers a range of resources

to assist organizations in implementing internal 

disability employment awareness programs

whatcanyoudocampaign.org

National Disability Employment

Awareness Month

Annual outreach effort that raises awareness 

about disability employment issues 

and celebrates the many and varied

contributions of America’s workers 

with disabilities

dol.gov/odep/topics/NDEAM.htm

Add Us In

Program designed to identify 

and develop strategies to 

increase employment 

opportunities within the 

small business community 

for individuals with disabilities

dol.gov/odep/addusin

Kenny Allen, 

Graphic Designer 

for a Federal 

Contractor
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STEP 2 - Creating an Inclusive Culture

Disability Etiquette Resources

Information about disability etiquette in various workplace settings, 

including speaking engagements and customer service environments 

AskJAN.org/topics/disetiq.htm

Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor

Guidance for employers on determining which federal disability nondiscrimination

laws apply to their business or organization and how to ensure compliance with them 

dol.gov/elaws/odep.htm

For additional resources related to 

creating an inclusive culture, 

visit ODEP’s Diversity and 

Inclusion webpage at:

dol.gov/odep/topics/

diversityandinclusion.htm

and Changing 

Attitudes 

webpage at: 

dol.gov/odep/

topics/

changing

attitudes.htm.

R.J. Martin, 

Circulation Clerk 

at a County 

Library
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 (Continued on next page)

STEP 3 - Recruiting and Hiring

understanding how to be disability inclusive in recruiting and hiring.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN)

Free consultation and technical assistance for employers seeking to recruit 

and hire qualified individuals with disabilities 

AskEARN.org; 1-855-AskEARN (275-3276) (Voice/TTY) 

Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)

Program that connects employers with pre-screened, highly 

motivated college students and recent graduates 

with disabilities seeking internships or permanent 

employment 

AskEARN.org/g-wrp.cfm

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Free, expert and confidential guidance on how to 

ensure recruitment and interviewing processes, 

including online application systems, are 

accessible to people with disabilities 

AskJAN.org; 1-800-526-7234 (Voice);

1-877-781-9403 (TTY)

Munir Bashir, 

Team Leader at an 

Electronics Store
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STEP 3 - Recruiting and Hiring

americasheroesatwork.gov/foremployers/hiringtoolkit

National Resource Directory

Resources to assist employers in finding qualified veterans, including 

wounded warriors, and supporting them in the workplace 

nationalresourcedirectory.gov/employment

One-Stop Career Centers

Nationwide network of centers that can 

help businesses find qualified workers, 

including workers with disabilities 

servicelocator.org; 1-877-USA-JOBS

Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

State agencies that link employers to 

job candidates with disabilities in their 

local areas 

AskJAN.org/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?902

For additional resources related to the 

recruitment and hiring of people with 

disabilities, visit ODEP’s Recruitment 

and Retention webpage at 

dol.gov/odep/topics/recruitment

andretention.htm 

and Accommodations 

webpage at 

dol.gov/odep/topics/

accommodations.htm.

Meg Krause,

Public Relations 

Professional 

and Veteran
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(Continued on next page)

STEP 4 - Retaining and Advancing Employees

the retention of all skilled, qualified workers through effective job accommodations 

for employees with disabilities. The resources below can assist in understanding 

how to effectively retain the talents of qualified employees with disabilities and help 

them advance and achieve workplace success.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace 

accommodations for employees with disabilities 

AskJAN.org; 1-800-526-7234 (Voice); 1-877-781-9403 (TTY)

Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN)

Free consultation and technical assistance for employers 

seeking to retain and advance employees with disabilities 

AskEARN.org; 1-855-AskEARN (275-3276) (Voice/TTY)

Rob Guttenberg, 

Family Counselor and Parent Educator
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STEP 4 - Retaining and Advancing Employees

Return-to-Work Toolkit

Information about the return-to-work process and 

resources to assist in getting employees back on the 

job quickly and smoothly after illness or injury 

dol.gov/odep/return-to-work

Customized Employment/Flexible 

Work Arrangements

Information about customized employment, 

a flexible work arrangement that can assist 

employers in retaining valued employees, 

including those with disabilities 

dol.gov/odep/topics/customizedemployment.htm

America’s Heroes at Work

Resources to assist in understanding how to support 

veterans and other employees who have traumatic brain 

injury (TBI) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

americasheroesatwork.gov

For additional resources related to retaining and advancing 

people with disabilities, visit ODEP’s Recruitment and 

Retention webpage at 

dol.gov/odep/topics/recruitmentandretention.htm

and Accommodations webpage at 

dol.gov/odep/topics/accommodations.htm.

Kathy Peery,

Legislative Affairs 

Specialist for a 

Federal Agency
for Federal Agencies

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 (Continued on next page)

Resources and Links for Federal Agencies

As the nation’s largest employer, the federal government must model effective 

policies and practices that advance America’s ideal of equal opportunity for 

all. In 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13548, which called 

on federal departments and agencies to increase the recruitment, retention and 

advancement of people with disabilities.

The resources on the next two pages can assist in fulfilling this directive.

Toolkit for Federal Agencies on Implementing 

Executive Order 13548

Outline of five-step process and related resources to assist federal agencies 

in their efforts to increase the employment of people with disabilities 

dol.gov/odep/federal-hire

eFedLink

Online community of practice designed to help federal disability 

employment professionals advance federal employment for persons 

with disabilities 

eFedLink.org

Workforce Recruitment Program

Program that connects federal employers with pre-screened, highly 

motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities seeking 

internships or permanent employment 

wrp.gov

Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)

Centrally funded accommodation program that provides assistive 

technology and services free of charge to federal agencies 

cap.mil
for Federal Agencies

(Continued from previous page)

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Resources and Links for Federal Agencies

Federal Workplace Mentoring Primer 

Overview of basic practices, strategies and available tools and resources 

for establishing formal mentoring relationships and programs within 

federal workplaces 

AskEARN.org/fed-fwm.cfm

Veterans Preference Advisor

Guidance on preferences that veterans, including wounded warriors, 

may be entitled to with regard to federal employment 

dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm

Federal Disability Hiring Programs

An overview of initiatives and flexibilities in hiring processes intended 

to increase the employment of people with disabilities in the federal 

government 

opm.gov/disability

For additional resources for federal employers, visit ODEP’s Federal 

Employment webpage at 

dol.gov/odep/topics/federalemployment.htm.
2012

CD-ROM

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Disability Employment Policy

dol.gov/odep
REAL IMPACT

REAL PEOPLE

To order additional copies of 

Building an Inclusive Workforce, go to: 

promotions.usa.gov/odep.html

January 2012

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Disability Employment Policy

dol.gov/odep