Comparison of Employees with Disabilities and Able-Bodied Workers in Janitorial Maintenance

Abstract

Despite increased public awareness, persons with disabilities experience a high rate of unemployment. One obstacle that blocks their goal of economic autonomy is employers' concerns pertaining to job turnover, absenteeism, productivity, and career advancement. Most prior research has been focused on investigating co-workers' attitudes, assessing rehabilitation agencies and programs, and identifying why employers hesitate to hire persons with disabilities. This study explored the validity of these concerns by comparing employees with disabilities with their able-bodied co-workers. Subjects were selected from a company that participates in the Projects with Industry program. Due to specific concerns regarding employees with mental and/or emotional disabilities, the performance of this group was compared with that of persons with physical disabilities and able-bodied employees. In general, results indicated either no difference between persons with disabilities and able-bodied workers, or a higher level of performance for workers with disabilities. Implications based on the findings, and suggestions for further research are presented.