Employing People with Disabilities

Employers must comply with certain legal requirements concerning the accommodation of employees with disabilities. Beyond just complying with these requirements, an increasing number of employers are taking advantage of programs that encourage hiring and recruiting people with disabilities, as well as tax credits to help cover the cost of accommodations for employees with disabilities.

If you are a new employer or new to employing people with disabilities, start by reading the Guide to Disability Rights Laws. This guide summarizes the major disability laws affecting employers, governments, schools and other organizations.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires an employer with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities, unless it would cause undue hardship. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way a job is performed that enables a person with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.

The following resources will help you comply with the ADA.

• Americans with Disabilities Act : A Primer for Small Businesses
  An easy-to-read, overview of the basic employment provisions of the ADA as they relate to employees and job applicants.
• Disability Discrimination
  Learn how to comply with the ADA's nondiscrimination standards when hiring and employing people with disabilities.
• Employers and the ADA : Myths and Facts
  Read common myths about how the ADA affects employers and learn the facts.
• Small Employers and Reasonable Accommodations
  Find answers to key questions facing small businesses in connection with reasonable accommodations. Read about the obligations of both employers and individuals with disabilities, and review the limits on how far employers must go in providing reasonable accommodations.

Hiring People with Disabilities

Employer Resources

• Employing People with Disabilities
  Resources to help businesses and employers understand issues related to the employment of people with disabilities.
• Do's and Don'ts of Hiring Persons With Disabilities
  Learn how to comply with ADA standards by following this checklist.
• Disability and Human Resources
  Tools for HR professionals build inclusive workplaces.
• DisabilityInfo.gov Employer Resources
  Links to resources for recruiting, employing and accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace.
• Hiring Service Disabled Veterans
  Learn about benefits and tax incentives for employers hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
  A free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions and compliance with the ADA.

Employment Services

• EARNworks.com
  Assistance for employers with recruitment and informational resources that will connect them to employment service providers who have access to job ready candidates in their community.

Worksite Accommodations

• Assistive Technology Strategies
  Learn about strategies for implementing assistive technologies and customized accommodations for employees with disabilities.
• Worksite Accommodation Factsheets
  Get practical advice and information on making accommodations for people with disabilities.
• Worksupport.com
  Information, resources and research about work and disability issues.

Federal Tax Incentives

• Business Tax Credits and Deductions for Employment of People with Disabilities
  Learn about tax incentives available to help employers cover accommodation costs for employees and/or customers with disabilities, making their businesses accessible for everyone.
• Facts About Disability-Related Tax Provisions
  Info on the IRS' disability-related provisions of particular interest to businesses as well as people with disabilities.
• Tax Incentives for Providing Business Accessibility
  Learn about tax incentives available to help small businesses cover the cost of accommodations for employees with disabilities and to make their places of business accessible.
• Tax Incentives Packet on the Americans with Disabilities Act
  Find out how to take advantage of the tax credit and deduction available for complying with the ADA.
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit
  The work opportunity credit provides businesses with an incentive to hire individuals from groups that have a particularly high unemployment rate or other special employment needs, including service disabled veterans and vocational rehabilitation referrals.

Vocational Rehabilitation

• State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
  Learn about programs that help people with disabilities become employed. Find out how you can become a partner employer.