Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin urges companies to hire people with disabilities

Companies that hire people with disabilities will on average increase their revenues, according to a recently published report from consulting firm Accenture.

Former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Wednesday to shed light on the news.

He urged businesses to invest in technology and policies that embrace people with disabilities.

Harkin said companies need to think of diversity as being beyond just gender and race.

“We need businesses to be more proactive to go out with their HR, human resources, and let people know that people with disabilities will be welcome there. That they can be an integral part of the workforce," Harkin said.

Accenture found companies that had a more inclusive workplace for people with disabilities had on average 28 percent higher revenues over a four-year period.

The report also found the U.S. economy could grow by $25 billion if just one percent more of people with disabilities joined the workforce.

Harkin was the author of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act that was signed into law nearly 30 years ago.