Employer Engagement Resources for State Agencies

• Business Benefits: The Positive Impacts of Disability Inclusion: State agency staff can share this factsheet with employers to illustrate how hiring people with disabilities is good for business.
• Federal Contractor Requirements: Information for state agencies to use in their engagement efforts with employers who are federal contractors.
• EARN Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Tools: Explore and share these resources to help employers understand the role disability plays in the workplace.
  • Disability Inclusion in the Workplace: Why It Matters: Learn about the importance of including people with disabilities in company DEIA plans and efforts.
  • Dinah Cohen Learning Center: Find online trainings, webinars, and other resources to assist employers in recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities.
  • Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Learn about how neurodivergent workers bring many skills and talents to the workplace.
  • Workplace Mental Health Toolkit: Find resources for fostering a mental health-friendly workplace that supports employee well-being.
• Find information about workplace disability inclusion at all stages of employment.
  • Recruitment
  • Hiring
  • Retention
  • Advancement

For more information, visit EARN’s Resource Library for a list of resources by topic.

In addition to EARN, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) funds other policy development and technical assistance resources to support workplace inclusion of people with disabilities. These include:

• State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED): State-federal collaboration that supports state and local governments through meaningful policies that promote disability-inclusive workforce development to foster employment success for people with disabilities. SEED equips states and localities with timely data, sample policy options, and technical assistance to ensure that state–and local-level policy that is critical to employment success—such as workforce development, economic opportunity, transportation, and technology, is inclusive of people with disabilities.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN): Leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues.
• Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE): Collaborative effort among several disability and business organizations that showcases supportive, inclusive workplaces for all workers. Find resources such as public service announcements (PSAs), videos, workplace discussion guides, posters, and more that promote employment of people with disabilities.
• The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) Center: Provides policy research and recommendations and technical assistance to promote disability inclusion and equity in state workforce systems.
• Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA): Collaborates with employers and apprenticeship programs to design inclusive apprenticeship programs that meet employer talent needs and enable people with disabilities to gain credentials and skills to succeed in growing industries.
• Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT): Offers resources to help employers and the technology industry adopt and promote accessible technology as part of everyday business practices for the benefit of all employees, including disabled workers, and employers.
• Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth): Works to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities by helping states build capacity in their youth service delivery and workforce systems.

• Share EARN and ODEP partner resources on social media, such as a general post highlighting an EARN or other ODEP partner website or posts on specific resources they offer.
• Link EARN resources to timely employer needs you are hearing about in your community or state.
• Create a “Resource Highlight” section for newsletters and email listservs and include EARN and/or ODEP partner resources.
• Share EARN and ODEP partner factsheets, policy briefs, toolkits, and other resources with employers through:
  • State agency offices, facilities, and buildings 
  • Job fairs and other hiring events
  • Employer presentations and trainings
  • Conferences and events

State agencies can easily connect employers with resources about employment of people with disabilities by linking to EARN on state websites where employer resources are included. Below you will find sample text you can edit to fit your needs and a downloadable version of the EARN logo.

Sample Text:

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) is a free resource to help employers and human resource professionals recruit, hire, retain, and advance workers with disabilities. EARN’s website offers easy access to resources, including workplace training and educational materials, to assist employers in building a disability-inclusive environment and meeting their workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) goals. The Workplace Mental Health Toolkit and Inclusion@Work Framework, along with a suite of online trainings, easy-to-use checklists and in-depth policy guides, can help employers create more inclusive workplaces. In addition, visitors will find information on trending topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessible telework, and neurodiversity in the workplace. To learn more, visit https://askearn.org.

Download the EARN logo (JPG).