I have been working in disability inclusion for over 20 years, and these words are a constant refrain from companies.

The vast number of individuals with disabilities is astonishing, which can be exasperating and even infuriating.

1. 15% of the global population are people with disabilities 
2. 5% of the Indian population are people with disabilities 
3. In India alone that represents 26.8 Million people with disabilities

There is a scarcity of entities that recruit individuals with disabilities, with the exception of non-profit or governmental institutions that cater specifically to this demographic. While these organizations perform commendable efforts, the issue lies in the limited pool of potential candidates they can offer. It has been approximated that just 10% of the disabled population is enrolled in such programs.

So, the real recruiting challenge is how to find talented people with disabilities?

LinkedIn’s recent implementation of a back-end demographic identifier for individuals with disabilities marks a significant stride in the integration of disability recruitment into the mainstream. As an estimated 95% of recruiters employ LinkedIn as a talent sourcing platform, the absence of an identifier for disability status had previously left recruiters to speculate or infer based on the individual’s affiliations, posts, or blogs.

Fortunately, with the new system in place, companies can now locate individuals who identify themselves as disabled within the LinkedIn back-end.

But now, if you identify as a person with a disability in the LinkedIn back office, companies can find you. So, if you are a person with a disability, self-id on LinkedIn!

1. Go to your privacy settings 
2. Click on personal demographics 
3. Check the box on disability 
4. Recruiters can now find you!
5. This will NOT appear on your public page

#Recruiters – you now have access to an entirely new diverse talent pool. Start searching today, and differentiate yourself by bringing candidates with disabilities forward.

Let’s continue to work together to make disability inclusion business as usual.

Kudos to LinkedIn!