In Italy, the recruitment of individuals with disabilities is regulated by a law, n. 68/1999, which promotes its inclusion in the workforce thanks to economic incentives for companies that choose to welcome members of the so-called "Protected Categories". Implement a strategy of Disability Management, that is:
"The active process of minimizing the impact of a disability (whether resulting from disability, illness, or injury) on an individual's ability to participate competitively in the work environment."
It thus becomes necessary to go along with the changes that society is going through.
In fact, they tell us that everything is going in a different direction, as from mere legal commitment, Hiring individuals with disabilities is becoming an opportunity for companies to open up to inclusion and bring into their offices one of the many facets of diversity.
What is this strategy?
Disability Management is first and foremost an inclusive approach to ensure that individuals with disabilities are recruited into the company, but managing to work optimally in an organizational environment that enhances their skills as well as the rest of the employees, thus allowing a participation that is also competitive.
In fact, according to D. E. Shrey, author of "Principles and Practices of Disability Management in Industry", Disability Management offers support to employees with disabilities allowing them to optimize their professional performance and limit the negative effects of their condition on performance. In addition, this approach is functional to the implementation of a system of relationships within the company that helps to control costs and support employment and productivity.
The starting point is the selection process: human resources must be trained so that the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the company is carried out on the basis of the abilities of each, regardless of physical, psychological or sensory condition, promoting the expression from the point of view of work and expression without any kind of discrimination.
The involvement of managers at the base of the process is essential: creating a culture of inclusion is the first step to ensure that human resources can align the company’s objectives with the needs of the employee, including creating a relationship with its support network where possible.
In addition, human resources must identify the most appropriate approach to manage the type of disability facing the individual, as it may be congenital or acquired.
In the second case, for example, a 'Return to workplace', that is, the set of practices to be put in place when the disability arises later and employees have to resume their duties with new mental and physical health conditions. In this case, smart-working or mixed mode might be an optimal choice.
Disability Management, however, does not stop at the selection process: in fact, because it is a transversal approach, it seeks to create a customized environment for employees with disabilities on several fronts, reviewing, if necessary, the structure of the company’s physical environment, making it more accessible. In particular, we aim to:
📌 Minimization of the rate of occupational accidents that can lead to chronic disease and disability through meticulous procedures and adequate equipment to reduce any possible risk;
📌 Removal of architectural barriers to facilitate the movement and use of services of individuals with disabilities;
📌 Use of sign language for inclusion of individuals with hearing disabilities.
Through these precautions, it is possible to build an environment in which to welcome employees with disabilities: but what is the real advantage for a company to hire these workers belonging to protected categories?
✅ Contribution to the creation of a new Welfare model: Welcoming people with disabilities into their staff allows the company to be open to diversity and to benefit the entire society, allowing them to grow at a personal and professional level even to those who are often denied this possibility;
✅ Opportunities for professional consolidation and organizational development: diversity is an added value and as such, contributes to bringing into organic new perspectives and points of view that enable the company to grow and go beyond its borders, consolidating and improving its positioning and reputation;
✅ Start a Change Management process: with the change of the society, the ways to reach the business objectives also change. The recruitment of individuals with disabilities helps to facilitate the transition to a cultural leap that looks to a company’s future more attentive to equality and sustainability, redesigning its processes and network of relationships and creating long-term shared value.
The goals set by Disability Management are ambitious but not impossible to achieve, therefore they must be accompanied by a structured strategy that in the long term allows to achieve measurable results. In particular, it may include:
📌 Prevention of employee health: the company must commit itself to promoting and maintaining staff in optimal health conditions, for example by investing in workplace safety equipment and activities and benefits that preserve their psycho-physical well-being;
📌 Cooperation with local and institutional authorities: the creation of a network that goes beyond company boundaries by helping to communicate the commitment to bring a benefit to society, especially by sharing data on staff training, risk analysis at work, the qualitative analysis of the business climate and the proposals to redesign the tasks according to the individuals with disabilities;
📌 Improvement of Diversity and Inclusion policies: essential for the success of Disability Management activities, diversity and inclusion are the cornerstones of change to bring to the company to have an environment within the reach of all that allows each individual inserted there to be realized from a professional and personal point of view.
For companies that want to embrace change, initiating Disability Management processes is therefore crucial to helping create a fairer and more informed society. Only through openness to diversity, in fact, organizations can be an active part in building a more sustainable future without barriers and prejudices that will no longer have second-class workers and B-series, but only people who pursue their professional goals to the best of their abilities.
