Disability Employment 101 For your business Describes how to: * Increase your hiring pool; * Keep valuable, trained employees; * Earn tax advantages; and * Lower (yes, lower!) your health care costs. "In my parents' generation, an employer would have seen only my disability, not my abilities." Meg O'Connell Senior Human Resources Specialist Booz Allen Hamilton Studies*(* U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. 2006. Disability Employment 101. Washington, DC: Author. Available at http:// www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/products/employmentguide (accessed July 25, 2006).) show that companies that employ individuals with disabilities report great results and gain: * Skilled employees. Employees with disabilities learn to persevere and develop problem solving, planning and people skills as part of managing a disability. * Solid performance. Statistically, employees with disabilities have better retention rates. * Cost saving. Workers with disabilities are rated consistently as average or above average in performance, quality and quantity of work, flexibility and attendance. DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT: MYTHS AND TRUTHS MYTH 1 Accommodations will be difficult and costly. TRUTH 1 * The average cost of workplace accommodations in 2006 is $600 or less. * The vast majority of workers with disabilities do not require accommodations. (Job Accommodation Network [JAN], 2006) MYTH 2 People with disabilities will sue. TRUTH 2 * Studies show that disability claims are rare. For example, ninety-one percent of employers had no ADA complaints filed in the previous 12 months. (Society of Human Resource Management [SHRM], April 2003) * People with disabilities want jobs, not lawsuits, and they are no more of a "legal liability" than other employees. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], 2006) MYTH 3 Employees with disabilities will use more sick leave and health care. TRUTH 3 * Employees with disabilities have been shown to have the same absentee and sick rates as nondisabled employees. * Large companies do not experience increased insurance premiums when they hire employees with disabilities. Because of recent Medicare changes and Medicaid buy-in programs, many people with disabilities carry their own primary insurance, thereby reducing their employer's costs. (Social Security Adminstration [SSA], 2006) * Companies that institute Return-to-Work programs for employees who become disabled can actually reduce insurance costs. Maybe my business should check this out! Where can I find out more? ADA Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) http://www.dbtac.vcu.edu/ Federal Resources http://www.business.gov http://www.disabilityinfo.gov http://www.earnworks.com Hiring http://www.cabln.org/resource1.htm http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/vrpractices http://www.hirevetsfirst.gov http://www.ncset.org/youthtowork Productivity Tools http://www.jan.wvu.edu Tax Benefits and Credits http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3966.pdf Health Care http://www.yourtickettowork.com/program_info http://www.ssa.gov "Ninety-two percent of consumers surveyed felt more favorable toward companies that hire individuals with disabilities." Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, January 2006 Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave. S.W. Washington, DC 20202 202-245-7488 http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa For copies of this brochure, visit http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or call 1-877-4-ED-PUBS. For alternate formats, call 202-260-0852 or 202-260-0818, or e-mail katie.mincey@ed.gov. "Making accommodations after my injury was simple, and the changes also helped students and visitors to the school." Rodger Barbee Dean of Students National Cathedral School