Hiring disabled workers? No time like the present.

For disabled workers, the pandemic has been both a crisis and an opportunity--a crisis because so many suffer from disability-related morbidities that make getting infected very dangerous, and an opportunity because remote work flourished. Plus, the shortage of workers has meant more chances for disabled applicants to be hired than ever before.

Hiring has been so good that the share of disabled workers employed now far surpasses pre-pandemic levels, according to the most recent Current Population Survey from DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gains for disabled workers have even surpassed gains by those without disabilities. More than 35 percent of workers with disabilities now hold jobs, while just 31 percent did so in 2019. That's a record since the Current Population Survey started asking disabled Americans about employment over 15 years ago.

In other words, you're far more likely to have hired a disabled worker than ever before, and disabled workers now constitute a more significant percentage of your workforce. And that means your organization needs to review policies and practices that impact disabled workers, including your reasonable accommodations process. Here's what to do and what to expect moving forward:

* Expect more disabled applicants.

While 31 percent of disabled Americans of working age have jobs, 78 percent of other workingage adults also do. There's still room for increasing the number of disabled workers hired, many of whom, encouraged by recent hiring news, are actively applying. Be prepared for those candidates by reviewing your reasonable accommodations process during the interviewing and hiring phase. Be sure all applicants know you're ready and willing to provide accommodations for interviews, tests and other steps in the hiring process.

* Don't be surprised by new hire accommodation requests. Some disabled applicants may conceal their disabilities until offered the job or during their first few...