Belleville, Illinois, Oct. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, during which time Allsup, a national provider of disability representation and return to work services, encourages workers and employers to help shatter stereotypes about hiring and retaining employees with disabilities.
“Our work with hundreds of thousands of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants and beneficiaries has shown that former workers with disabilities have so much to offer employers,” said Diane Winiarski, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services at Allsup Employment Services (AES).
“They may be hidden from their view, but business leaders struggling to attract and retain talent in a tight labor market can find highly skilled, capable individuals among SSDI beneficiaries who are ready to go back to work and have the support of the Ticket to Work program.”
SSDI is a federal benefit that employees contribute to via their FICA payroll taxes when they are working. If they experience a life-altering physical or mental disability, SSDI provides income, health insurance and return to work assistance. However, 52% of Allsup’s initial disability applicants remain hopeful that one day their health will improve and they can go back to work, according to Winiarski.
As a Social Security Administration-approved Employment Network (EN), AES offers beneficiaries personalized return to work planning, benefits coordination, vocational guidance, and job interview and job placement assistance at no cost. The services of an EN and the SSA’s Ticket to Work program are benefits available to every disability beneficiary who wants to transition back into the workforce and return to self-sufficiency.
The nation’s unemployment rate is 3.7%, however, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is nearly double, at 7.2%.
“Employers can’t pass up an opportunity to tap into this important population of workers with disabilities, including disability beneficiaries who are not included in the unemployment data,” Winiarski said.
Working with ENs like Allsup Employment Services, employers can locate qualified workers with disabilities. And by making inexpensive or no-cost accommodations, such as offering flexible hours, work-from-home arrangements or supplying screen-reader software or adjustable desks, they can set workers with disabilities – and in turn themselves – up for long-term success.
Learn more about how an Employment Network can help deliver on the promise of National Disability Employment Awareness month by visiting TrueHelp.com. Learn more about SSDI benefits and eligibility.
ABOUT ALLSUP
Allsup and its subsidiaries provide nationwide Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, return to work, exchange plan and Medicare services for individuals, their employers and insurance carriers. Allsup professionals deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. Founded in 1984, the company is based in Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis. Learn more at TrueHelp.com and @Allsup or download a free PDF of Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance: Getting It Right The First Time.