From My Inbox: Firms that hire people with disabilities

American consumers are responding positively to companies they consider socially responsible, and increasingly count those that hire disabled workers among
that group, according to a national public survey conducted by UMass Boston's Center for Social Development & Education in collaboration with the America's
Strength Foundation and published in the January issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation (Vol. 24, Issue 1, IOS Press). It is one of the first
studies to examine the attitudes of consumers toward companies that hire people with disabilities.

Titled, "A national survey of consumer attitudes toward companies that hire people with disabilities," the study reports overwhelmingly positive attitudes
among consumers toward socially responsible companies, and in particular toward those that hire individuals with disabilities.

Specifically, 92 percent of consumers surveyed felt more favorable toward companies that hire individuals with disabilities and 87 percent said they would
prefer to give their business to such companies. Among those surveyed, hiring people with disabilities ranked third behind offering health insurance to
all employees and protecting the environment as an indicator of a company's commitment to social justice.