Corporate Culture and Employment of People With Disabilities: Role of Social Workers and Service Provider Organizations

Abstract

Corporate culture reflects an organization's value system and impacts the recruitment, retention, and promotion of employees. Individuals with disabilities are positively impacted by a corporate culture that espouses and establishes a diverse workforce as a priority. This article provides an overview of corporate culture and the employment of individuals with disabilities, and presents a case example of the corporate culture of a large not-for-profit disability service organization. With an in-depth understanding of corporate culture and disability issues, social workers can be particularly helpful to applicants and employees with disabilities as well as employers.

KEYWORDS:

• corporate culture
• employment
• people with disabilities
• service providers

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was in part funded by grants to Peter Blanck and/or BBI staff from (a) the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), for the “Demand Side Employment Placement Models,” Grant No. H133A060033, “Southeast Disability & Business Technical Assistance Center,” Grant No. H133A060094, “Asset Accumulation and Economic Self-Sufficiency Project,” Grant No. H133A090014; (b) The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) for “Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Center Region IV (Southeast TACE)” Grant No. H264A080021; (c) the U.S. Department of Labor, ODEP, for the “Disability Case Study Research Consortium on Employer Organizational Practices in Employing People With Disabilities,” Grant/Contract #E-9-4-6-0107; and (d) the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the New York State Office of Mental Health, for the “New York Makes Work Pay Initiative,” a Comprehensive Employment Systems Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of any U.S. department or any other entity.

Notes

Occupational SW has been defined as “a specialized field of social work practice which addresses the human and social needs of the work community through a variety of interventions which aim to foster optimal adaptation between individuals and their environments” (Straussner, 1990, p. 2).

“Established in 2002 [during the Bush administration], the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award annually recognizes non-profits, small businesses, corporations and individuals that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment and workplace environment for people with disabilities….” (http://www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/index.htm).