Resources

For Corporations: Disability Equality Index A benchmarking tool that provides an objective score and roadmap on disability inclusion policies and practices.

Helpful Links:

Business Relations: Utah State Office of Rehabilitation provides services to Utah Business partners including:

• One-on-one support provided on disability employment training and education for Human Resources, supervisors, and other hiring managers
• Assistance to improve or add workplace accommodations
• Connect and network with other businesses taking action to hire people with disabilities
• Provide free, direct access to USOR counselors and clients for job postings through the People with Disabilities Network by emailing pwdnetjobs@utah.gov

Utah's Committee on the Employment of Individuals with Disabilities: We promote efforts to achieve equal employment opportunities for Utahns with disabilities.

Golden Key Awards: Every year the Utah Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities and their partners honor people and businesses with the Golden Key Award. It recognizes those who have helped promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Work Ability Career Fair: Targeted job fair tailored for individuals with disabilities. Be prepared to meet People with Disabilities Network business leaders and explore your career opportunities. This event is free and open to the general public.

Employer Workshop on Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Individuals with Disabilities: Excellent opportunity for human resources, recruiters and supervisors to learn more about hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities. Meet with specialists and learn more about available resources. Lunch provided by Disability:IN Utah.

Posting Positions: Businesses can use PWDNET to have customized options to recruit qualified applicants with disabilities for job vacancies:

1. Email listserv: Send an email with a complete job description to pwdnetjobs@utah.gov and your opening will be shared statewide with over 230 employment counselors and specialists with expertise in disabilities and employment. The counselors and specialists will pre-screen candidates to meet your requirements.

2. Job Postings with Workforce Services: If you currently post positions within the Department of Workforce Services, there is an option to add a keyword and your job postings will become searchable by candidates with disabilities. 

3. Sign up for TAP, Talent Acquisition Portal: This online tool is for federal contractors and all businesses looking to find talented candidates with disabilities. With TAP you can view candidates’ resumes and post jobs, view metrics, participate in online job fairs and place banner advertisements.

Federal Contractor Resources: Section 503 and Your Business

No matter how large or small, all federal contractors with 50 or more employees and $50,000 or more in federal contracts should understand Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).

What is Section 503?

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was amended to help federal contractors recruit, hire, and improve job opportunities for jobseekers with disabilities.

The amendments to 503 became effective on March 24, 2014.  Section 503 now establishes goals, requires that contractors document and provide updates on the number of individuals with disabilities who apply for jobs and the number hired, and requires that contractors invite applicants and existing employees to self-identify as individuals with disabilities.

Benefits to Business

These new regulations provide a great opportunity for businesses to increase their diversity, access a relatively untapped talent pool and improve their bottom line!

Did you know that studies have shown the hiring of people with disabilities provides increased retention, lower training costs and turnover, access to new business markets and increased innovation?  Adding these benefits to the advantage of having a more diverse workplace makes business sense.

Tax Credits and Incentives: Businesses can access tax credits and incentives when employing people with disabilities.

The WOTC (Work Opportunity Tax Credit) is a federal tax credit of up to $2,400 for a qualifying business. This amount increases up to $9,000 when hiring other targeted populations such as disabled veterans, long term family assistance recipients, etc.

• A business who becomes an Employment Network in the Social Security Ticket to Work program can receive up to $23,000 over a period of several years. The Employment Network provides supports to the employees who have a disability.

• A business who directly provides specific job training to individuals with disabilities may also utilize On the Job Training. On the Job Training is a program with the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation. The business is reimbursed a training fee based on both the business’s effort and the employee’s needs.

 

ADA for Business: The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the subsequent amendments in 2008 have established an environment of diversity in all aspects of American life. Its application to business and employment are very specific. Title 1 of the ADA provides protections to both the business and the individual with a disability.

Business Relations Guide: Resources to Utah businesses in one guide.

Downloadable Business Resources: These informational brochures contain a variety of resources for employers including job placement and training services, tax benefits and credits, local and national business networks, the myths of disabilities, rehabilitation services, hidden disabilities and communicating with and about individuals with disabilities. To learn more, contact the business relations team.

Transition Mentoring Events: Each Transition Mentoring Day introduces students and job seekers with disabilities to workplaces where they can learn about various career opportunities.

Disability:IN National Home Page   We empower business to achieve disability inclusion and equality.

DEI (Disability Equality Index): The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

Business Case for Disability Inclusion: Disability Inclusion Drives Business Success. Groundbreaking research from Accenture in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities reveals the financial benefits of including people with disabilities in business.

Department of Workforce Services, DWS – Utah’s Department of Labor, find resources, events and post positions.

JAN – Job Accommodation Network: The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

ODEP – Office of Disability Employment Policy: Driving change and creating opportunity for Americans with disabilities.

EARN – Employer Assistance and Resource Network: 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.

PEAT – Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology: Spark inclusion in your organization, envisioning a future where new and emerging technologies are accessible to the workforce by design.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: NDEAM: ODEP offers a range of resources to help employers and other organizations plan NDEAM observances, including not only the official poster, but also sample articles, a press release, proclamation and social media content. 

Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, SUMH: The Utah Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SUMH) was created as Utah’s substance abuse and mental health authority by Utah statute §62A-15-103. We oversee the publicly funded prevention and treatment system. If you, a friend, or family member is struggling with a mental health problem or a problem with alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, there is help available.

DSAMH Supported Employment: Work is Recovery! Gainfully employed people in competitive work settings with mental illness and co-occurring disorders, may have an increased sense of purpose, higher self-confidence, and improved social acceptance!

Division of Services for People with Disabilities: DSPD Utah employers have long recognized that hiring people with disabilities offers excellent return on investment and is not only good for the community, but also good for their bottom line. The following resources will help you as an employer get on your way to an inclusive workforce.  

Utah Ready & Able: This website offers resources to help improve the hiring process for individuals with disabilities who are ready and able to deliver. People with disabilities have been proven to deliver added profitability, innovation, shareholder value, productivity, market share and corporate image enhancement.*

Whether you are an employer or a job seeker, this site is built to help you succeed in Utah’s labor market