Diversity and inclusion extend to people with disabilities, who are the largest minority subgroup in the U.S.
93% of customers surveyed said they feel more favorable toward businesses that hire people with disabilities.
DARS offers no-cost services to employers across Virginia to help with staff recruiting, screening, training and retention efforts. You gain dedicated employees, enhance your workplace’s diversity and talent, and lower your hiring and training costs.
Staffing & Recruitment
DARS provides free staffing services to businesses interested in hiring individuals with disabilities.
We make hiring easy. Our staff works with businesses to:
- Recruit, train, and retain employees
- Pre-screen job candidates and assess their abilities
- Support employees as needed with ongoing follow-ups and support services
Want to get more people interested in your industry?
We offer prospective employees the ability to learn more about available work opportunities through virtual job shadowing. This provides participants with more information about daily work tasks, skills and education requirements, and job benefits. Let your local business development manager know if you’d like your industry featured.
Ways to Hire Employees through DARS
DARS has developed a variety of ways for businesses to hire individuals with disabilities that benefit both the individual and employer.
- Paid & Unpaid Work Experience
- No-cost for the business
- Helps identify future employees
- Provides valuable work experience to employee
- The client works through a staffing agency which handles all Human Resources functions
- Does not guarantee a permanent job, but hopefully provides our client with a job reference for future employment
- On-the-Job Training Reimbursement
- Offsets training costs for the business
- Our team finds an employee whose skills match the demands of your workplace
- 50% of the employee’s wages during the training period are reimbursed
- Your business gets a trained employee, at half the cost.
- Apprenticeships
Our Pathways to Careers program connects individuals with disabilities with the necessary education, training, and industry-recognized credentials to secure quality, high-demand jobs in growing industries.
“We’ve hired quality candidates through DARS over the years. And one of the things I’ve noted most is certainly the worth ethic in the candidates that we’ve interviewed and we’ve hired.
FAQs
We can assist with job recruiting, pre-screening, and placement of qualified candidates with disabilities. As part of our process, our placement counselors:
- Compile resumes, letters of recommendation, and former employer contacts
- Ensure hiring forms and paperwork are complete
- Assist with logistics such as transportation, childcare, and overall availability
- Assess limitations and find accommodations needed to perform job
Your business benefits from our recruiting, screening, and training — getting a dependable candidate without the usual legwork.
We will arrange job fairs and job training opportunities, including on-the-job training, job shadowing, internships, or unpaid work experiences — all to ensure a candidate is a good fit before you hire them. We also follow up as needed to ensure ongoing employee success.
When needed, the DARS may hire a job coach to help with job training. This saves your business time and money. Job coaches work one-on-one with employees through the initial job phases to ensure success. As employees become more independent in their roles, the job coach will gradually transition away from direct involvement but will check in periodically to make sure everything continues to go smoothly.
In addition, reimbursement is available for 50% of an employee’s wages during training periods. This helps offset training costs for your business.
We offer training for your team on disability awareness and etiquette. This can provide the necessary education and tools to discuss disability issues and help foster supportive working relationships. It also ensures your team knows the best way to communicate with and support customers who have disabilities.
No, 56% of employees with disabilities require no accommodations.
73% of companies report no cost for accommodations. When accommodations are needed, average costs are between $400-$600 per employee.
No. Several studies have investigated safety records and workers’ compensation claims and found no difference between employees with or without disabilities.
No. Insurance rates are based on the relative hazards of the operation and the organization’s accident experience, not on whether workers have disabilities.
This program is managed by the Division of Rehabilitative Services.