Network links doctors, disabled job-seekers

The Labor Dept. is offering free help for practices interested in hiring workers with disabilities.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews staff. Jan. 6, 2003.

Washington -- Medical offices and hospitals facing staffing shortages should consider a relatively untapped labor pool -- people with disabilities, says the Dept. of Labor.

The Labor Dept. recently launched the Employee Referral Assistance Network, a free service that can help doctors find skilled and unskilled workers, said Lisa Lahrman, director of program management.

"It links them with people with disabilities who are ready to go to work, who are qualified for the position that they are posting, and who are in their own locality," she said.

EARN's operators try very hard to locate at least three candidates within 48 hours of starting a search.

"They're a wonderful resource on quite a variety of different issues regarding employment of people with disabilities," Lahrman said. They also can answer physicians' questions regarding special considerations when hiring people with disabilities, including concerns about compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"There are a couple of basic premises when you are trying to hire someone with a disability, which in some respects are the same premises you would use in hiring anybody," said David Hoff, a project director for the National Center on Workforce and Disability. "Does the person have the skills to do the job and is the person a good match for the social culture of the work place?"

For some people, their disability is not an impediment, and for others, their disability makes a major impact on their lives. Taking these factors into account is critical when finding an appropriate job match, Hoff said.