Attitude, Not Cost, Barrier to Disabled Workers

When Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) fifteen years ago, supporters hoped the equity legislation would increase disabled peoples’ opportunities for employment. But, according to researchers at Cornell University, the employment rate for people with disabilities peaked around 25 percent in the 1990s before dropping below 20 percent by 2004.

The Department of Labor attributes this low employment rate, in part, to the misconception that accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace is prohibitively costly. In fact, research indicates that the opposite is true. The Labor Department’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN), which helps employers hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities, has found that most workplace accommodations can be implemented at little or no cost.

Since cost is not the main barrier, say disability advocates, more needs to change than simply architecture and ergonomics.

tags: ada  employment  disability