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There are 60,000,000 people in America with disabilities, of those:

  • 48,000,000 have invisible disabilities
  • 20,000,000 have cognitive disabilities
  • 7,000,000 have Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • 500,000 are veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury or Post-traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI), or both
  • 65% of companies do not track these disabilities

Federal regulations may soon require that companies with government contracts demonstrate that at least 7% of their workforce is comprised of people with disabilities.  Because of the unseen nature of cognitive disabilities, tracking individuals with these disabilities is a challenge. To address this challenge organizations need to be proactive and create inclusive environments where individuals feel comfortable disclosing their disability status without fear of losing their jobs, or missing opportunities to develop and advance.  Employees with cognitive disabilities need to know that they will have the respect of their peers and their management, and will get the support that they need in order to be fully engaged and successful in the workplace.

Given that as much as 50% of the CURRENT workforce may have an invisible disability, it is critical for businesses to take action.  With many retirement-age individuals staying in the workforce, and young people who have had the benefits of IDEA throughout their education, now starting to work, the number of people in the workforce with invisible disabilities will continue to grow.  Add to this the return of over a half million young veterans who have served their country and now seek the chance to work and raise families, and it is apparent that businesses must begin to invest in the skills they will need in order to use this neurodiverse and capable range of individuals.

Few organizations have the background skill set necessary to successfully deal with the employment issues encountered with invisible disabilities such as TBI or PTSI.

And that’s why you need Cognitive Compass to help lead your organization in the right direction.