This year has brought me an unexpected opportunity to temporarily enter the world that people with disabilities experience every day. In two weeks, I will have my fourth surgery, a second knee replacement. I am now the bionic woman, and I also have a new found understanding of disability challenges.
Despite efforts in the US to accommodate disabilities (and I understand that America is far ahead of most countries), we fail. I find myself making decisions about going out to eat based on whether the restroom will accommodate me. Did you know that, for all their touted utility, I can't reach the average bars to help me stand?
A few stairs up, with no railing, make it impossible to go to my ten-year salon, eat at a favorite local restaurant, or walk into most theater venues in our region. I think that bending to enter the backseat of a taxi might break me. For me, all of this is temporary. I will never forget.
But for me, work just moves right along, generally without a hitch, and I suspect that it does for the majority of individuals who experience disabling conditions. But, employers don't yet get this, or they have had a bad experience with a dead beat employee taking advantage of FMLA time off or playing their sick leave system.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Although we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) this year, the level of unemployment for people with physical disabilities is more than twice that of non-disabled Americans. Statistics demonstrate that many employers misunderstand the challenges they will experience if they hire a disabled employee.
Myths About Disability Employment
Nick Gutwein, President of The Braun Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts, shared three myths that many employers believe.
- "Myth 1: Costs for accommodating an employee with a physical disability outweigh the benefits.
In truth, according to the President's Committee's Job Accommodation Network, most workers with disabilities require no special accommodations and for those that do, 15% cost nothing. Slightly more than half of needed modifications cost $500 or less. - "Myth 2: People with disabilities will mean higher worker-compensation rates for my company, as well as a higher use of sick time.
In truth, a study by DuPont found that absentee rates are nearly the same between employees with and without disabilities. Disabilities are not included in formulas for worker's compensation. - "Myth 3: People with disabilities won't be able to handle tough challenges or issues that arise in the workplace.
In actuality, people with disabilities are experienced in dealing with significant challenges. Consequently, they've developed more acute problem-solving skills and are creative at finding ways to perform tasks that other employees take for granted."
Image Copyright Loretta Hostettler
Disabled Employees at Work