Published On: August 10, 2015

Today’s post was written by Sara Croft
In 2014, the unemployment rate for individuals with a disability was 12.5%, more than double the 5.9% for those with no disability according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why is this percentage exceedingly higher for individuals with a disability? According to authors Jenell L.S. Wittmer, an assistant professor of management at the University of Toledo, and Leslie Wilson, president and CEO of Wilson Resources, while employers who hire individuals with disabilities regularly experience less turnover, less absenteeism and higher productivity, front-line staff and hiring managers continue to have uncertainties about hiring workers with disabilities due to preconceived myths.
Check out this list of 5 debunked myths from our Indiana Government about hiring individuals with disabilities and the true facts behind them.
MYTH: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forces employers to hire unqualified individuals with disabilities.
FACT: Applicants who are unqualified for a job cannot claim discrimination under the ADA. Under the ADA, to be protected from discrimination in hiring, an individual with a disability must be qualified, which means he or she must meet all requirements for a job and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations. No accommodation must be provided if it would result in an undue hardship on the employer. At Easter Seals Crossroads, each of our job applicants develop a thorough job plan, which identifies their needs and goals prior to starting their job search. This allows us to match job candidates with careers using an individualized approach.
MYTH: Accommodating workers with disabilities costs too much.
FACT: Reasonable accommodation is usually far less expensive than many people think and in many cases is similar to the accommodations for employees without disabilities, such as technology and workplace ergonomics. At Easter Seals Crossroads,accommodations for our job candidates are identified as part of their individual job plans so both the employer and the employee know from the beginning what accommodations will be necessary. Our Assistive Technology Clinicians provide on-the-job evaluations and recommendations for necessary equipment and computer software. We work closely with Vocational Rehabilitation, a state-funded agency, which may provide funding for those services.
MYTH: Under the ADA, employers must give people with disabilities special privileges, known as accommodations.
FACT: Reasonable accommodations are intended to ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities have rights in employment equal—not superior—to those of individuals without disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification to a job, work environment or the way work is performed that allows an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform the essential functions of the job, and enjoy equal access to benefits available to other individuals in the workplace.
MYTH: It will be difficult to supervise employees with disabilities.
FACT: A Harris poll found that 82% of managers said employees with disabilities were no harder to supervise than employees without disabilities. Employees with disabilities should be held accountable to the same job standards as any other employee. Managers should be confident that their supervisory skills will work equally well with employees with disabilities.
MYTH: Under the ADA, an employer cannot fire an employee who has a disability.
FACT: Employers can fire workers with disabilities under three conditions: The termination is unrelated to the disability; the employee does not meet legitimate requirements for the job, such as performance or production standards, with or without a reasonable accommodation; or because of the employee’s disability, he or she poses a direct threat to health or safety in the workplace.
As you can see, hiring an individual with a disability is no different than hiring an individual without a disability. OurEmployment Services program provides qualified job applicants to the Indianapolis business community in conjunction with evaluations and recommendations for workplace accommodations from our Assistive Technologyprogram. Our ability to offer both of these critical components allows employers to rest assured that they are hiring qualified candidates who have the support they need to get the job done.
For more information about our qualified job seekers, please visit our For Employers page. To learn more about workplace accommodations, please visit our Assistive Technology page.