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Disability Inclusion in 2026: What Employers Need to Hear
Key stats and insights providers can use to open doors and place more people in meaningful jobs.
If lately it feels like DEI is a taboo word, you’re not imagining it. Many employers have scaled back their DEI programs or quietly shifted their focus elsewhere.
But here’s the thing: The challenges those programs were meant to solve, from hiring shortages to retention problems, haven’t gone away. In fact, they’re only growing.
That’s where your role as a service provider comes in. Instead of focusing on disability inclusion as a corporate ideal, you can reframe it as a smart business move that can help employers fill critical gaps, strengthen teams, and improve their bottom line.
Below, you’ll find seven talking points you can use to keep the disability inclusion conversation alive (and relevant) in 2026:
1. There’s a huge untapped market of disability talent.
In 2025, a childcare shortage, a wave of Baby Boomer retirements, and changes to immigration policies all collided to create a perfect storm that left businesses scrambling to find reliable talent.
Meanwhile, a large, capable pool of workers with disabilities is standing by, ready to step in.
“People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the U.S.,” says DEI consultant Wally Tablit. “One in four Americans has a disability, but this group is still underrepresented in the workforce.”
The takeaway? By widening their search to include candidates with disabilities, employers can increase their potential talent pool by up to 25%.
2. Inclusive hiring practices increase the pool of qualified candidates.
So, how can employers tap into this overlooked talent source? It all starts with having hiring practices that actually welcome candidates with disabilities. Things like:
- accessible application processes
- onboarding that works for everyone
- common sense accommodations like flexible workspaces or remote work options
Instead of just focusing on placing candidates, employment service providers can position themselves as strategic partners who identify hiring barriers, advise on inclusive strategies, and help employers find and develop untapped talent.
“Exploring what systems might unintentionally exclude candidates is key,” adds Wally.
“Exploring what systems might unintentionally exclude candidates is key.” - Wally Tablit
3. Employees with disabilities drive measurable business results.
It’s no secret that diverse teams perform better on nearly every measure, from productivity to financial performance and employee engagement.
But the strongest teams aren’t diverse for diversity’s sake. They’re diverse because they hire the best person for the job.
The real opportunity here lies in helping employers see candidates as individuals, not just participants in a DEI program.
“Rather than using the words diversity or inclusion, we should be focusing on who the individual is and what value they add to the team,” says Wally.
4. The qualities that matter most don’t always show up on the resume.
Soft skills like dependability, empathy, and teamwork are often what make someone truly great at their job, but they’re not always obvious until you meet the candidate face-to-face.
Providers can help employers see this by connecting candidates directly — through interviews, video resumes, or in-person introductions — so the person’s skills, personality, and potential shine.
“Sometimes, employment providers do so much of the talking and relationship-building,” Wally adds. “We need to make sure we’re inviting the person in so the employer can get to know them as a person and not just a resume.”
“We need to make sure we’re inviting the person in so the employer can get to know them as a person and not just a resume.” - Wally Tablit
5. Employees with disabilities fill critical gaps and solve business challenges.
Savvy executives know that disability inclusion was never about checking a box or collecting a tax credit. It’s always been about addressing real business needs.
Whether an organization is struggling with a hard-to-fill shift or constantly fielding negative customer service reviews, inclusive hiring can be part of the solution.
The key for job developers is understanding what pain points the employer is facing and framing candidates with disabilities as the remedy.
“Too often, people hear ‘disability’ and think about problems instead of seeing what a person brings to the table,” says Wally. “Instead, we should be focusing on what the employer’s need is, and what that individual can do.”
6. Customers prefer businesses that visibly include employees with disabilities.
Today, most businesses understand that representation matters to consumers even if DEI is dead. But too often, people with disabilities are left out of the conversation.
That’s a huge oversight: A 2018 report estimated their collective disposable income at $490 billion — and with disability employment and wages rising, their spending power is only growing.
If businesses want to woo customers with disabilities — and those connected to them — then they must include people with disabilities in visible, meaningful roles, not just entry-level or back-of-house positions. Or, as Wally puts it, “People will go where they see a reflection of themselves.”
7. When employees feel like they belong, retention and engagement rise.
Ask any HR exec and they’ll tell you: Retention is the real boogeyman that’s keeping employers up at night. In 2025, more than half of employees considered leaving their jobs — the highest turnover risk Gallup has clocked in the last decade.
But when employees feel like they belong, that all changes. Forty percent of employees with a strong sense of belonging rarely think about looking for a job elsewhere, compared to just 5% of those with a low sense of belonging.
Even as formal DEI programs fade into the background, companies that prioritize belonging are the ones winning the retention battle.
“We all know that placing the person is just one part of the conversation,” says Wally. “Even if it’s a good job match, we need to be asking, ‘How is this person being included in the everyday fabric of the workplace?’”
“Even if it’s a good job match, we need to be asking, ‘How is this person being included in the everyday fabric of the workplace?’” - Wally Tablit
Keeping the conversation going
As the DEI conversation evolves, the way we talk to employers about disability inclusion needs to evolve too.
Companies may not be publishing DEI reports or broadcasting their diversity efforts anymore, but that doesn’t mean they’re not open to hiring employees with disabilities.
This is an opportunity to lead the discussion in a new direction. By moving away from controversial terms like DEI and focusing on how employees with disabilities add real value to teams, you can help employers see inclusion as both smart and essential to their bottom line.
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