Hiring People with Disabilities

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    Discover the advantages of hiring people with disabilities

    If you’re looking for dedicated employees who will make a commitment to your organization and a difference in your workplace, you’ll want to consider all the benefits of hiring a person with a disability. Learn why hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense. Find out how you can create a diverse and welcoming workplace. See what fellow employers have to say about workers with disabilities.

    Connect with your Employment Specialist

    Our Employment Specialists are experts in disability employment and can provide resources and strategic alliances to tap the talent pool of people who have disabilities. 

    man with disability and employer

    Help with Hiring

    You’ve decided you’ll help your organization find the talent it needs by hiring people with disabilities. Now you need help finding, recruiting and hiring the workers you want. Here are some next steps:

    1. Set up an on-site visit by a CareerForce Vocational Rehabilitation Services disability employment specialist. We’ll look at your work environment, ask you to describe in detail the responsibilities of the position you’re planning to fill, and get a detailed listing of the skills needed for the position.
    2. The CareerForce specialist will help you recruit candidates by pre-screening applicants who meet your needs.
    3. We’ll link these candidates to you and support you and the candidate during the interview and hiring process.

    Our assistance doesn’t stop when the candidate gets the job. You’ll also get ongoing education and training, technical assistance with employment-related questions and help identifying necessary accommodations. And your new employees will receive ongoing job coaching to ensure continued success at your organization.

    Finally, we’ll share opportunities for financial incentives for businesses who hire and employ people with disabilities.

    Here are some helpful resources:

    Graphic with words Go MN! with outline of state of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development logo

    Partner with Go MN!

    Go MN! is a federal grant-funded employment program (Link is external) that provides an opportunity to explore competitive integrated employment for those who are working in subminimum wage employment or for youth and students who are contemplating subminimum wage employment.

    The Go MN! team connects with businesses, learns about what you do and your needs, and helps identify and coordinate opportunities for project participants to learn more about work at your company and in your industry.

    Contact Go MN! staff to explore how this can work at your business. Contact us at vrs.goMN.DEED@state.mn.us.

    Photo of Andrew State of Success and VRS

    Andrew's story

    When Andrew graduated from college in 2007, he was having a hard time finding a job. Often, he would get an interview, and once the employer realized he was deaf he simply wouldn’t get a call back.

    See Andrew's story
    Image of Melissa

    Melissa's story

    After being committed to a group home following a suicide attempt, Melissa applied for Vocational Rehabilitation Services and found out about the many opportunities available to her in education and employment.

    See Melissa's story

    Be a Storymaker

    Want to make a story like Andrew's and Melissa's possible?

    Our Disability Employment Specialists are here to help you hire and retain workers who have disabilities. 

    Find your specialist

    The VR program received 78.70% of federal fiscal year 2025 funding through grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The federal fiscal year 2025 grants totaled $59,589,639. The required state match for these funds is $16,127,818. The state of Minnesota appropriated $17.3 million to meet the match requirement.

    CareerForce is here to support your success

    Post a Job on Minnesota's State Labor Exchange

    Attend a Job Fair or Networking Event

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    Esta plataforma es traída a usted por el Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) (Departamento de Empleo y Desarrollo Económico de Minnesota). Desarrollado y mantenido por CiviServ; el contenido de CareerForceMN.com se encuentra bajo la licencia CC BY 4.0.  Un socio orgulloso de la red American Job Center (Centro de empleos estadounidenses).