Attitude, Not Cost, Barrier to Disabled Workers -
Part One
by Catherine Komp
Editor: Unemployment rates among workers with disabilities are much
higher than among the general population. The cost of accommodating
people with disabilities is a major reason for that, right? Maybe not!
This article was originally published in the New Standard (http://newstandardnews.net).
If you would like to reprint this article, please see the credit at the
end of the article.
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From the newsroom of The New Standard
Mar. 9 - Impressing a potential employer during an interview and
getting a good job offer is difficult for many. But for those with
disabilities - who must prove they are as qualified as non-disabled
candidates - finding any job has its own challenges.
When Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
fifteen years ago, supporters hoped the equity legislation would
increase disabled peoples' opportunities for employment. But, according
to researchers at Cornell University, the employment rate for people
with disabilities peaked around 25 percent in the 1990s before dropping
below 20 percent by 2004.
The Department of Labor attributes this low employment rate, in part,
to the misconception that accommodating people with disabilities in the
workplace is prohibitively costly. In fact, research indicates that the
opposite is true. The Labor Department's Job Accommodation Network
(JAN), which helps employers hire, retain, and promote people with
disabilities, has found that most workplace accommodations can be
implemented at little or no cost.
Since cost is not the main barrier, say disability advocates, more
needs to change than simply architecture and ergonomics.
"Most disabled people would tell you that the bigger concerns
they have around the workplace are not around physical
accessibility," said Andrew Imparato, president of the American
Association of People with Disabilities. "They're more around
attitudes. I think it's easier to legislate and see change around bricks
and mortar than it is around attitudes."
Low-cost, High-impact
The JAN survey, which will continue through September 2007, released
preliminary findings last month based on feedback from 778 employers
that had contacted the agency for information about employing people
with disabilities.
The vast majority of the employers surveyed had called because they
were interested in learning how to retain their employees, who on
average had been employed for seven years and were paid about $13 per
hour.
About half reported that implementing workplace adjustments came at
no expense, and about 43 percent reported a one-time cost that averaged
around $600.
"Many employers tell us it's as simple as making a flexible
schedule [for an employee]," said Anne Hirsch, director of services
for JAN and co-author of the study. She told The NewStandard that many
accommodations are similar to those commonly purchased to make it easier
for non-disabled employees to do their jobs, like telephone headsets or
specialized computer software that can aid people with vision or range
of motion impairments.
Cassie James, self-services coordinator at Liberty Resources, a
Philadelphia-based advocacy group for people with disabilities, said
many employers wrongly assume that adaptive improvements will be pricey.
James, who uses a wheelchair comfortably at her office, said there are
many obstacles that need simple fixes rather than state-of-the art
solutions.
She gave the scenario of needing to adjust desk height for someone in
a taller wheelchair. "If I went out and thought about how can we
make this, I might be able to get one of those long working tables and
put it on a couple of bricks and it's just as good," James said.
The law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is one company that
found cost-effective ways to create a better work environment for
disabled employees. The internationally-based firm, which employs over
1,000 people, discovered that minor adjustments - like using instant
messaging for some office communications and moving desks so that
employees' backs were not facing the door - could help accommodate two
employees with hearing loss.
"With the deaf employees, that was something new for us, and we
actually went to them and asked, 'What can we do to make life easier and
help you communicate with us and help us communicate with you?'"
explained Britta Stromeyer, human-resources manager at the firm.
Pillsbury law has joined other large companies, including Cingular,
Embassy Suites Hotels and IBM, in working with the Employer Assistance
& Recruiting Network (EARN), a federally funded
accessible-technology company that helps connect businesses to people
with disabilities who are looking for work. Stromeyer said she initially
used EARN's services because of problems finding quality candidates
through traditional labor recruiting sources, but discovered added
benefits beyond simply attracting qualified employees.
"It makes a difference in teamwork in general when you really
have a diverse pool of opinions and ideas," Stromeyer told TNS.
The JAN report found that of the employers surveyed, nearly 9 in 10
reported retaining a valued employee through better workplace
accommodations. In addition, three-quarters cited increased
productivity, and over half said they eliminated the costs of hiring and
training a new employee.
Employers also reported indirect benefits like improved interactions
with co-workers and customers, increased company morale and improved
workplace safety. Report co-author Hirsch said that all of these results
are nothing more than the product of good management skills.
"Employers who are proactive look at [workplace accommodations] as
how can we use this to improve work for everyone," she said.
Part Two
