In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, therefore prohibiting “discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.”
This legislation would evolve and integrate into Title I, II, III, IV and V, essentially providing accommodation and equitable access to different facilities and opportunities to individuals with disabilities.
According to a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every one out of five adults in the U.S. has a disability. This number equates to a staggering 53 million people. With ADA and its successors, 53 million Americans are protected under federal law regarding their disabilities.
In a paradox to this number, the latest reports from the U.S. Department of Labor show that the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities is 24.3 percent, while the same for people without disabilities is 68.0 percent.
Why are people with disabilities more prone to unemployment than their counterparts?
While many successful attempts to close the gap between these two groups have been made, it has been consistently maintained by common misconceptions and myths, resulting in employers’ hesitance in hiring candidates with disabilities for fear they would not be capable of fulfilling their tasks.
Many leaders and business owners also think that providing standardized accommodations for disabilities is expensive and can decrease their profit. Some more extreme perspectives view workers with disabilities as less intelligent, dedicated and just straight-up lazy.
These, among many existing stereotypes surrounding disabilities, are pseudo-science and ableist.
More than 50 studies exploring the meaning of work for people with various diseases and disorders found that work and meaningful activities play a vital role in their lives, as it provides a source of identity as well as a sense of normality, socialization, and financial support.
People with disabilities are proven to have higher motivation to work, hence better performance. Since they are aware of their conditions, their biggest barrier, they appreciate opportunities and strive to be the best employee on the team.
Not only does this make them meticulous and thoughtful workers, but they are also loyal to the companies and diligent in their craft. If companies choose to look past this factor in their hiring process, they are missing out on a vast untapped talent pool.
Under the ADA, an employer is required to provide a reasonable accommodation to “a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show that the accommodation would require significant difficulty or expense.” So could these expenses be an obstacle for employers? The answer is not quite.
Data Shows the Benefits of Employing People with Disabilities
In a Job Accommodation Network (JAN) survey completed between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022, not only workplace accommodations are typically low in cost, but they could also have a positive impact on the workplace in many ways. Surveyed companies demonstrated that the benefits of providing accommodations for employees in the workplace outweigh their costs.
Key findings from the survey include employers providing accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees, most employers reporting no cost or low cost for accommodating employees with disabilities and employers reporting accommodations are effective.
The most frequently mentioned benefits consist of increased employee retention, increased employee productivity and increased employee attendance. The survey has also received feedback on improved interactions with co-workers from employees with disabilities, increased overall company safety, and increased overall company morale.
This JAN survey in particular was not the only study showing support for diversity in the staff body and accommodations for workers with disabilities. An Accenture research in 2018 among 140 U.S. companies revealed similar findings but in economic advantages.
Findings from this research confirm that disability inclusion efforts increase business performance, specifically innovation, shareholder value, productivity, and market share.
Still skeptical? Here are some examples.
In 2007, the American pharmaceutical giant Walgreens opened a distribution center where more than 30 percent of the 800 employees lived with a disability. The result was astonishing. Not only was the center not less efficient than other facilities, but they were also 20 percent more profitable than comparable facilities with workers without visible disabilities.
However, the utilization of talents with disabilities must start with recognition and thoughtful accommodation. Walgreens did not succeed due to its sheer inclusion. True inclusivity means helping workers thrive in their professional environment and ensuring they have all the resources they need to perform. A company that triumphed in this was the Swiss company, Suzanne Conza’s Asperger Informatik AG (today’s twofold academy).
As their name might have suggested, the Zürich-based IT company tapped into the intellectual capabilities of people with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. Individuals living with this syndrome have a quick grasp, extreme attention to detail, incredible concentration and more ideal qualities for information technology workers.
Recognizing their unique talent and special needs, the company designs a work environment with minimal irritants, plans the work processes as accurately as possible and reduces stress for their employees.
At one point in life, each and every one of us has been or will be at the risk, or reality, of living with a disability, whether visible or not. Fostering a society of compassion and equity for people with disabilities ensures that their conditions do not define them.
Special needs do not make someone “disabled,” it’s the lack of accessible facilities and support in our society that does.
For businesses, not only does this practice makes them strong competitors in the market but also moves them forward in finding more talents that will ultimately benefit their entities.