Disabled americans, the largest american minority group, are often overlooked in hiring because of employers’ misconceptions

Millions of jobs have been outsourced to India and China on the premise that foreign labor is cheaper and American workers lack the desire to do these jobs. But people with disabilities argue that not only are they willing to take on these jobs, but they are also reliable, skilled and committed to quality work. At 50 million, people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States, yet they have the highest unemployment rate in the country at 70%. Most employers remain unaware of this untapped minority group and do not realize that the disabled are great employees who have low turnover and a broad range of skills and abilities.

Employers often take on the blanket notion that the disabled have too many physical limitations to fit into a job and that insuring and accommodating their special needs will be cost prohibitive. The reality is that disabilities are not all encompassing obtrusive obstacles to any given job. Disabilities are specific to each person and can range from hearing, vision, or cognitive problems to being in a wheelchair, but many employers do not realize that most accommodations for the disabled in the workplace can be made for less than $500, according to Wayne McMillan, CEO and president of the Bobby Dodd Institute, a nonprofit group that trains the disabled for the work force. "It's important to get the message out that people with disabilities are just people. They have strengths and attributes just like anyone else that allow them to make a contribution to the workplace," he says. "But sometimes it's hard to get past misconceptions."

McMillan also notes that now more than ever, employers will need to adjust to the disabled in the workplace, as the number of disabled Americans returning from overseas military conflicts increases and the number of aging baby boomers, accident, and stroke victims continues to grow.

Here are some of the facts about people with disabilities, for employers who may be tentative about hiring the disabled:

• Disabled worker turnover, at around 8%, is much lower than turnover for other workers, who have an overall turnover rate of 45 percent.
• Studies reveal that 91% of disabled workers scored average or better when compared with the general work force. Disabled workers attendance was also found to be better than that of the general workforce.
• The US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers conducted a national survey of 279 companies and found that 90% of the companies surveyed reported no effect on insurance costs as a result of hiring workers with disabilities.
• People with disabilities represent $1 trillion in annual aggregate consumer spending, $220 billion of which is discretionary funds.

Smaller employers may be eligible for an annual special tax credit of up to $5,000 to help them make accommodations for disabled employees as required by the Americans with Disabilities act.

Source:
The Salt Lake Tribune