Misconceptions About Hiring Employees With Disabilities

Adhering to the American With Disabilities Act (ADA) can raise many questions for employers, such as how will our facilities need to be altered?  Will their presence cause a major expense?

Rising Star is here to help you.  We can help provide you with the staff you need, provide support to your legal employee with disabilities and fulfill a meaningful and moral mission. We will also train you and your team on the do’s, don’ts, and misconceptions.

MYTH:   Lower job performance and reliability.

FACT:    Workers with disabilities have fewer absences than those without disabilities.

Concerns regarding job performance among persons with disabilities have been disproven. A study conducted by DePaul University and commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce gathered information over a three-year period on 314 employees, 95 of whom had disabilities. The results showed employees with disabilities averaged close to the same rating as those without a disability. In addition, workers with disabilities had fewer scheduled absences than those without disabilities.

MYTH:   Providing accommodations for people with disabilities is expensive.

FACT:    Most workers with disabilities do not need accommodations to perform their jobs, and for those who do, the cost is minimal.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), 57% of accommodations cost absolutely nothing to make, while the rest typically cost less than $500. Moreover, tax incentives are available to help employers cover the costs of accommodations, as well as modifications required to make their businesses accessible to persons with disabilities.

(source httpss://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/ada.htm)

MYTH:   Managing employees with disabilities requires a different approach.

FACT:    Federal law requires employees with disabilities be held to the same qualifications as non-disabled workers.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that disabled employees are held to the same qualifications as non-disabled workers. Therefore, there should not be any major differences in management practices.

(source httpss://www.ada.gov/index.html)

MYTH:   People with disabilities hinder business.

FACT:    Diverse teams produce better solutions, higher morale and increased profitability.

Diverse teams produce better solutions, so there’s a clear performance advantage to bringing together people with all kinds of differences.  Research has also found organizations employing people with disabilities have higher morale and employee engagement, which we know drives profitability.

(source httpss://www.sourceamerica.org)