Welcome! The site contains information and links to various resources about workplace disabilities.
Quick links to:
Disability Discrimination Statistics
Common Myths about Workers with Disabilities
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Videos
5-minute interviews with people working with disabilities
Blayr: Bipolar Disorder
Jason: Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia
Jules: Epilepsy
6-minute video on common myths about workers with disabilities
Disabilities in the Workplace: Myths and Realities
Myths & Realities and Interview with Blayr
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Definition of “Disability”
Disability: a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities (including work).
Some conditions should be easily considered disabilities, including: Autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV infection, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.
Links to additional information about defining disabilities:
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Disability Discrimination Statistics
Study of why companies are not hiring and retaining workers with disabilities https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217147
People with disabilities are…
…Less likely to be employed
- 17.9% of people with disabilities were employed in 2020
- 61.8% of people without disabilities were employed in 2020
…More likely to be unemployed and looking for work
- 12.6% unemployment for people with disabilities in 2020
- 7.9% unemployment for people without disabilities in 2020
…Paid 10% less than non-disabled, when holding age, gender, ethnicity, educational attainment, geographic location, and type of disability constant
– Various U.S. disability statistics aggregated by Cornell University:
– Definition and types of discrimination from U.S. EEOC:
– EEOC Regulations:
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Common Myths about Workers with Disabilities
Myth #1: Workers with disabilities can’t perform their jobs as well as workers without disabilities.
False! There are many qualified people with disabilities who have the talent, skills, and ability to perform well if given the opportunity.
Myth #2: Hiring managers are not allowed to ask employees questions about whether they can perform job functions during the hiring process.
False! An employer may ask questions about the ability to perform specific job functions and may, with certain limitations, ask an individual with a disability to describe or demonstrate how they would perform these functions.
Links to additional information:
Myth #3: Accommodations are costly and difficult to implement.
False! Most accommodations are inexpensive to implement and add value to the workplace.
A recent study from the U.S. Department of Labor of almost 1,200 U.S. employers across a wide range of industry sectors and sizes reported that
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- 59% of accommodations cost $0
- The rest cost, on average, $500.
- 75% of the employers reported that the accommodations were either “very effective” or “extremely effective.”
Also, tax credits and deductions are available for organizations implementing reasonable accommodations! For more information, see: https://adata.org/faq/what-financial-assistance-available-employers-help-them-make-reasonable-accommodations-and
Examples of accommodations: