AUGUSTA — The Maine Business Leadership Network, in collaboration with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Department of Labor and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, hosted an employer forum at Procter & Gamble in Auburn on Oct. 21, focusing on the benefits to businesses of hiring people with disabilities.

Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, pointed out Procter & Gamble’s successful efforts to employ people with disabilities. Forum attendees participated in a tour of Procter & Gamble’s FlexiCenter, and heard about Procter & Gamble’s policy of including people with disabilities in its workforce and the benefits of inclusion to its bottom line during a panel discussion.

Based on figures collected for “Snapshot 2012,” from 2008 to 2010, approximately 13 percent of Maine’s population consisted of working-age people with one or more disabilities. Of those Maine residents, 35 percent were employed.

The Maine Business Leadership Network is the state affiliate of the United States Business Leadership Network. The U.S. Business Leadership Network offers member employers resources for recruiting candidates with disabilities, information on disability issues and topics, recognition for best disability employment practices, and exposure to an untapped market for their goods and services.

For more information on the Maine Business Leadership Network go to: http://mainebln.org.