In 2021, only 19.1% of people with a disability were employed. The unemployment rate for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities is now almost twice the national unemployment rate. Multiple studies on disability inclusion in the workplace showed that businesses that hired individuals with disabilities have a higher production rate, higher profit margins, and higher net incomes.

A 2018 study performed by Accenture discovered that companies who hired individuals with disabilities saw a 72% increase in productivity, 30% higher profit margins, and 200% higher net incomes. The study also found that non-disabled employees who worked alongside disabled employees became more aware of inclusivity and recognized how to make their work environment more accessible.

Carolina Fine Snacks, a food company founded in North Carolina, experienced a drop in employee turnover rates from 80% every 6 months to less than 5% when they hired employees with disabilities. The company also witnessed absenteeism drop from 20% to less than 5%. It was also reported that the positive, hardworking attitudes of the disabled employees raised the morale and influenced some of the non-disabled employees to improve their performance.

At Fueled by AF,

Our mission is to make the world more accessible and to provide as many versatile employment opportunities (& snack options!) to those with disabilities. We want to lead by example—demonstrating that you don’t have to sacrifice cost or quality ingredients for good tasting, healthy and inclusive snack products. By doing so, we hope other snack brands will join us in the cultural shift towards providing products (& jobs) catered to those with disabilities.