About EARN
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) offers information and resources to help employers recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities; build inclusive workplace cultures; and meet diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) goals.

-
EARN Partners
-
EARN Staff
-
FAQs
Who We Are
-
User Agreement
-
Accessibility Statement
-
Privacy
User Information
Getting Started
Start here to learn how to recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities; why workplace inclusion of people with disabilities matters; and how EARN’s resources can help.

-
Recruit
Build a pipeline of talent that includes people with disabilities.
-
Hire
Identify people who have the skills and attributes for the job.
-
Retain
Keep talented employees with disabilities, including those who acquire them on the job.
-
Advance
Ensure that employees with disabilities have equal opportunities for advancement.
Phases of Employment
-
Federal Government Employment
-
Resource Library
A listing of EARN resources by topic.
Not an Employer?
Additional Resources
Dinah Cohen Learning Center
EARN’s Learning Center offers a wide range of training resources, including self-paced online courses.

-
Additional EARN Resources
-
Other ODEP Funded Centers
Other Tools
News & Events
EARN makes it easy to stay up-to-date on disability employment news and information. Start by subscribing to our monthly newsletter and eblasts, which will connect you to upcoming events, developing news and promising practices in the world of disability diversity and inclusion. And don’t forget to follow EARN on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

-
What's New on AskEARN
-
Newsletters
EARN News
-
Organization-Wide Accessibility: Everyone Plays a Part
February 15, 2023 — 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST
Webinar Learn about effective strategies employers can use to develop and sustain a fully accessible workplace. -
See All Webinars
A list of all webinars.
Upcoming Events
Retention Strategies
Explore effective methods to help retain employees with disabilities.
Companies use different strategies to ensure they retain their valued employees. These can include:
- Mentoring and coaching
- Workplace flexibility
- Stay at Work/Return to Work programs
- Mentoring as a Disability Inclusion Strategy fact sheet discusses mentoring programs as a way to support talent development and retention using the organization’s human resources to improve employee satisfaction, develop leaders and teach new skills.
- The Workplace Mentoring Playbook helps employers develop effective workplace mentoring programs, learn about types of mentoring and find examples of successful mentoring initiatives for all workers, including employees with disabilities.
- Peer mentoring and coaching can be an effective means of professional development for all employees, and can ensure the success of workplace neurodiversity initiatives.
Remote work, or telework, is an example of workplace flexibility that can make a big difference for people with disabilities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers have adopted or updated employment policies and practices to enable employees to work at home. EARN's resources on remote work include:
- Adopting an Integrated Telework Policy for Employees With and Without Disabilities, which reviews how employers can use remote work to retain employees with disabilities.
- The practice brief Leveraging the Shift to Remote Work to Increase Employment of People with Disabilities explores practical reasons employers should consider remote work.
- The policy brief Exploring the Possibilities: Disability-Inclusive Hybrid Work Models offers strategies for developing and implementing hybrid work models that are equitable and accessible for all employees, including people with disabilities.
- EARN Stay at Work/Return to Work Resources: Find out how these programs can help supervisors manage employee injuries, illnesses and disabilities and ensure that employees are able to return to the workplace as quickly and safely as possible.
- Learn more about Stay at Work/Return to Work programs.
Opportunities that help employees advance in their careers, such as professional development and training opportunities, can also help with employee retention.
Retention Strategies for Specific Sectors
Retention Resource Tip for All Employers: Every state has a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency that can help support employers not only hire people with disabilities, but also assist with retention. Find your state's VR agency.
Some sectors and industries have special considerations when retaining employees with disabilities. Learn more about more retention strategies for employees who are federal contractors and subcontractors, federal employers, state government employers and small businesses.
Under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, both federal contractors and subcontractors must meet certain requirements toward the goal of a workforce that includes people with disabilities. For example, they must ask employees to self-identify as having a disability. Under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), federal contractors and subcontracts have affirmative action and non-discrimination obligations for veterans, including veterans with disabilities. Learn more about requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors and strategies to help them meet their obligations under Section 503 and recruit, hire, advance and retain workers with disabilities.
EARN offers resources that can help state government employers retain employees with disabilities. The State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED) also supports the efforts of state governments to recruit, hire, advance and retain people with disabilities.
To help small businesses include people with disabilities in their workforces, EARN created the Small Business & Disability Employment: Steps to Success, which offers step-by-step information on how small employers can create disability-inclusive workplace cultures.

Some sectors and industries have special considerations related to retention of employees with disabilities.
Related Resources
- Hire (& Keep) the Best: Talent Acquisition and Retention Processes Self-Paced Training
- Return to Work/Stay at Work Programs
- Workplace Flexibility
- EARN Policy Brief: Adopting an Integrated Telework Policy for Employees With and Without Disabilities
- EARN Policy Brief: Exploring the Possibilities: Disability-Inclusive Hybrid Work Models
- Focus Group Summary: COVID-19 and Performance Management of Employees with Disabilities
- Focus Group Summary: COVID-19 and Remote Work
- Section 503 Best Practices for Federal Contractors
- Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers