Hartford Business Journal

34 Hartford Business Journal | March 22, 2021 | HartfordBusiness.com Opinion & Commentary OTHER VOICES Why your company should hire people with disabilities OTHER VOICES Transportation Climate Initiative Program good policy for CT By Jane Davis The number of U.S. businesses that are making it a corporate priority to hire people with disabilities is on the rise — and for good reason. Savvy businesses keenly understand that recruiting highly trained and dedicated people with disabilities is one of the smartest hiring strategies they can employ. As CEO of nonprofit Ability Beyond, I am fortunate to witness the incredible impact that our residential living, transitional, day programs and employment services have on more than 3,000 people with disabilities we serve annually. Last year, we supported more than 1,000 people with disabilities by training them for fulfilling work opportunities, providing job placement assistance and helping them maintain their jobs for the long term. One such success is David who was matched with Stop & Shop. When spring COVID cases spiked, David went into overdrive, eagerly saying "yes" to all tasks despite stressed customers and an array of new protocols. His managers recently reached out to us saying, "I know nobody is perfect, but David is our perfect." Hiring someone with disabilities isn't charity, it's actually one of the smartest things you can do for your bottom line. Here are four of the many reasons why integrating employees like David into your hiring plan makes good business sense: Move the needle on your key HR benchmarks Across our client base, we've moved the needle on key HR benchmarks, including an average 14% higher retention rate. The reason is simple: the individuals we place are motivated, eager and prescreened for the position. Employees we place also receive continued job training and counseling from Ability Beyond — at no cost to the employer — for 90 days as they acclimate to the job. Employers we've worked with have also noted a 53% higher rate of self- identification, significantly decreased time to fill key positions and a greater range of diversity within disability including 21% veterans with disabilities. The process is much simpler than you think Working with a nonprofit disability employment service such as Ability Beyond can help you ensure the right fit for both employee and employer and navigate the nuances of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. It's our goal to make the transition for both you — and your new employee — as simple as possible. It simply makes cents If the prior reasons weren't compelling enough, we've seen firsthand that people with disabilities — the largest diversity group in the world — are fiercely loyal to companies who value diversity and inclusion. According to the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 87% of the public would rather do business with companies that hire people with disabilities. And with one in 10 Americans living with a substantial disability, creating a workforce that is reflective of your customer base can help your business tap into their immense $645 billion annual spending power in the U.S. Different perspectives drive innovation Let's face it. If a person has a physical or mental disability, they are plenty accustomed to having to figure out innovative ways to do things differently to accommodate their ability. These very same individuals can bring their unique problem-solving abilities to the table and offer a different perspective to some of your biggest business challenges. With these perspectives, you can see why including people with disabilities into your hiring plan is a win-win for all involved. Jane Davis is the CEO of Ability Beyond, a nonprofit that matches employers with workers who have a disability. By Jonathan Steinberg and Heather Burns In Dec. 2020, Gov. Ned Lamont, along with the governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the mayor of the District of Columbia, joined a regional agreement known as the Transportation Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P). The initiative, which creates investment for our state's transportation goals while reducing carbon emissions, can serve as the foundation for Connecticut's clean and prosperous transportation future. By generating revenue to address long-standing transportation infrastructure deficiencies, we will create a more modern transportation network to best promote Connecticut's economic, health and environmental future. As a state, we get to determine how this money will be used. We can invest it to increase electrification and reliability of public transit, expand biking and walk lanes, and tax rebates for the use of low- emission vehicles. And by purchasing less fuel and spurring innovation in the clean transportation sector, our economy will expand while increasing disposable income and creating well-paying jobs for Connecticut residents. Additionally, in order to create a more livable and prosperous future for all in Connecticut, more than a third of the revenue will be reinvested into clean transportation projects in underserved communities. Such communities face the greatest exposure to toxic transportation pollution, but the lowest access to public transit. This could save $7.6 billion in healthcare costs across the Northeast and would improve disenfranchised populations' ability to easily commute and take part in Connecticut's expanding economy. Many indicators, from intensified storms to more mosquitoes, have shown that the time to reduce our state's contribution to climate change is now. Focusing on Connecticut's transportation sector is a promising starting point, as motor vehicles make up 38% of our state's carbon emissions. But transportation emissions not only contribute to climate change; they degrade our air quality, contribute to Connecticut's higher- than-average rates of asthma, and lead to our state having the most deaths related to air pollution in all of New England. Initiatives that focus on transforming our transportation sector to be cleaner and more sustainable will offer the simultaneous benefits of slashing emissions, improving public health, and creating jobs. The benefits far outweigh the costs, which at most could be a 5 cent to 9 cent rise in gas prices, a minor increase relative to yearly price fluctuations. Ultimately this is a necessary investment in our sustainable and livable future. Recognizing the necessity and opportunity provided by such an investment, our state's business and industry — not least among them members of the Connecticut Sustainable Business Council — are eager to remain on the leading edge by addressing climate change head on. By reducing our state's leading source of emissions, TCI-P is well aligned with the many companies in the state that have already incorporated sustainability practices into business strategy, operations and logistics. Also drawing strong support from the private sector is the innovative technique called carbon pricing, which the TCI-P system is built upon. This approach sets the stage for a possible economy-wide carbon price, while positioning Connecticut to be a leader in the face of an eventual federal price on carbon. We're now living in the future that we've continuously borrowed from. What is needed are innovative solutions to fix our decaying transportation infrastructure and the environmental and public health damage that polluters have caused. Connecticut is ready to lead on solutions that will create equitable economic expansion, reduce our carbon footprint, and increase public health all through this much-needed, cutting-edge transportation initiative. State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg serves the 136th House District in Westport. He is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. Heather Burns is founder and CEO of CT Sustainable Business Council, which has 23 member companies committed to building a sustainable economy in Connecticut. Jane Davis Heather Burns Jonathan Steinberg

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