The Knox County Chamber of Commerce highlighted inclusive hiring today during its “State of Workforce” event.

Held at the Fortnightly Club, presented by Action Staffing and supported by Vincennes PBS, and WVUB radio, the session featured KCARC, the Southwest Indiana Workforce Board, and Vocational Rehabilitation Employment.

The theme was “Hiring Outside the Box.”

Speakers described their organizations’ services and stressed the need for businesses to better understand how and why to hire individuals with disabilities.

KCARC President Nash Dunn called them “people with diverse-abilities” and said employers should make a stronger effort to break down stigmas and recognize this untapped pool of applicants.

“I mean, I would say this, if you really need help, you need to be willing to talk to whoever might want to work for you, period. It’s that simple. They’re a human being that might want to work for you. At that point, you can begin to try to figure out what might it take. And one of the simplest things that you can do is humbly ask them. Nobody’s better at having that specific disability than they are. They walk around with it every day.”

The speakers also emphasized that connecting businesses to this talent pool can strengthen the local workforce and broaden opportunities for people of all abilities.

The next Chamber of Commerce “State of” series event will be the State of Healthcare scheduled to be held in November.