Equal employment and workplace diversity expands past gender and ethnicity. Unfortunately, far to many people with disabilities face obstacles when attempting to find rewarding employment. Despite the obstacles, the ability for individuals with disabilities to perform at work and contribute to their community is undeniable. Many employers agree that having a member of the team with a disability generally has a positive impact on the business from a client and co-worker perspective. Employers who have had experience working with employees with a developmental disability believe that those individuals have a right to be as independent as possible, including the opportunity to perform a job.
Employers, time and time again, describe how committed and dedicated their workers are to excelling at their job. Not surprisingly there is compelling research to support the benefits having individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Numerous studies (Shafer, Hill, Seyfarth, & Wehman 1987) have shown that employers rate the overall work performance of workers with disabilities highly and indicate that their work is comparable to to his or her co-workers. The studies did address the concerns of employers about speed and accuracy of an employee with disabilities but when the workers performance is evaluated as a whole it was stated that individuals with disabilities contribute as much or more to the company as other employees.
Workers with disabilities were rated higher on several levels compared to their non-disabled counterparts on a number of factors including reliability.
But why is this important? Employees with disabilities overwhelmingly report the enjoyment they at their jobs from the since of community of the co-workers and the responsibility of job duties. Typically employees with disabilities are also more positive towards the relationships they establish while at work. Meaningful employment gives individuals with disabilities more than a paycheck. Here at R!KC we do just that through R.I. Industries. Have you ever been to the Federal Reserve and received your bag of shredded money? Thank the clients at R.I. Industries for filling those bags. When you go to the home improvement store and need a bag of presorted washers, nuts and bolts who sorts those? R.I. Industries clients! These are just a few examples of the work our clients do here at R!KC, the ranges of work performed at the R.I. Industries workshop are vast from simple assembly, collations and envelope stuffing to special packaging, intricate assembly, and detailed handwork. The services at R!KC are ISO compliant and proficient in KAN-BAN inventory systems. Find out how R!KC can help your business today! 816.751.7794
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Welcome to The Victory Blog! This is a place for sharing stories of personal growth, strength, small and large successes, and the most relevant topics regarding our services. We hope you will enjoy the journey with us as we continue to build brighter futures for people of all ages who have experienced a limiting condition such as brain injury, stroke, or developmental disability.
In addition to the fabulous work R.I. Industries does, which you pointed out, doesn't RIKC also help individuals with disabilities find competitive community employment outside of the workshop environment?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! With the help of our Employment Services Specialists they provide job coaching to individuals and match employers with candidates that already have the skills to be successful at the job they are applying for. Employment Services also helps individuals who have suffered a traumatic injury return to the job they had previous to the injury or help them find other means of employment that suits their interest and skill set. Employment Services Specialists also help the employee with a smooth transition into the workforce to provide optimal results for both the employee and employer.
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