Inclusion Daily Express -- Chamber Study Dispels Myths About Workers With Disabilities

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Chamber Study Dispels Myths About Workers With Disabilities
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
January 28, 2008

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS--A study released Monday by DePaul University could go a long way toward dispelling myths about workers with disabilities and the accommodations they need to do their jobs well.

The study, entitled "Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities", was commissioned by the DisabilityWorks initiative of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

During the three-year study, which included focus groups and surveys of employers and employees with and without disabilities, the researchers found that those with disabilities performed as well as those without disabilities.

In fact, in some areas they outperformed their counterparts. For example, those with disabilities had fewer scheduled absences and fewer unscheduled absences. In the retail and hospitality industries, workers with disabilities stayed on the job longer than those without disabilities.

In comparing job performance for both groups, and the amount of supervision both groups needed, the researchers found nearly identical results. Those with disabilities scored slightly higher on performance reviews.

Additionally, while many potential employers have expressed concern that it would be too costly to accommodate workers with disabilities, the research team found only 16 times that the 95 workers with disabilities involved in the study required accommodations. Of those, the average cost of accommodation was $313, and the most expensive was $1,500.

The researchers also noted that many employees without disabilities had asked for and received workplace accommodations, usually in the form of modified schedules or job duties.

"Persons with disabilities are an important segment of the labor force yet they are frequently an untapped resource of workers," said DisabilityWorks Executive Director Karen McCulloh in a press release. "I believe these findings will help set the record straight about what people with disabilities can contribute to the labor force."

Related:
"Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities" (DisabilityWorks)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2008/red/0128a.htm

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