The 38.6% Gap: Why Disability Inclusion Is Ireland's Most Overlooked Operational Performance Opportunity

By Jed Nykolle Harme

May 13, 2026

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Ireland is leaving significant operational value on the table. A new report from the Open Doors Initiative, produced in partnership with EY, finds that despite near full employment, Ireland has a disability employment rate of just 32.6%, with a gap of approximately 38.6%, well above the EU average of 24.4%. Only 49.3% of working-age people with disabilities are in employment, against 70.8% of those without. Closing this gap is not a social policy question. It is a productivity imperative.

The report, entitled From Awareness to Action: Ireland's Business and Policy Roadmap to Closing the Disability Employment Gap, frames disability inclusion as a core driver of operational performance rather than compliance. Research from Accenture, cited in the report, finds that companies leading in disability inclusion are 28% more productive and have twice the net income of those that do not.

The talent argument is equally compelling. ODI chief executive Jeanne McDonagh, who has a disability herself, notes that stigma and unconscious bias cause organisations to underestimate the transferable skills, lateral thinking, and creativity that come from hiring beyond existing preconceptions. With Ireland at near full employment and businesses actively struggling to hire, excluding 22% of the population from the talent pool is a structural constraint on capacity and growth.

The commercial dimension reinforces the case. The 2024 Global Economics of Disability report estimates the spending power of people with disabilities and their families globally at over $18 trillion (approximately €16.6 trillion). Organisations that design accessible products, services, and workplaces are better positioned to serve this market and build the resilience competitive environments require. IDA Ireland executive director Mary Buckley attended the report launch alongside Circle K and AsIAm, reflecting the breadth of commercial interest behind this agenda.

The ODI roadmap sets out five priority recommendations, including redesigning recruitment and workplace systems for inclusion by default, equipping managers with practical tools beyond awareness training, and increasing the visibility of disability leadership at decision-making level. McDonagh distinguishes between Corporate Social Responsibility, often viewed as charity, and Corporate Social Justice, which demands that businesses dismantle systemic barriers within their core operations as a matter of operational design.

Three operational priorities stand out for Irish business leaders. First, embed accessibility and flexibility into recruitment from the outset rather than retrofitting accommodations later. Second, invest in manager capability through practical guidance and reasonable accommodation frameworks. Third, treat disability inclusion data as a performance metric and report on it transparently, building the accountability structures that drive sustained operational improvement.

The ODI and EY report confirms that disability inclusion is a measurable driver of productivity, innovation, and retention. Irish organisations that act on its roadmap now will build the workforce depth and operational resilience that competitive businesses require.

(The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)