Employers' perceptions of the benefits of workplace accommodations: Reasons to hire, retain and promote people with disabilities

Abstract

Despite the legal mandates of the ADA, people with disabilities continue to be underrepresented in the workforce. While there does exist an established body of research devoted to the hiring of individuals with disabilities, information on retaining individuals with disabilities in the workplace has not been reflected as often in the critical discourse devoted to disability and employment practices. This article analyzes data from an ongoing study conducted by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of ODEP (Department of Labor 1004062R), showing that employers benefited from hiring, retaining, and accommodating individuals with disabilities. Benefits derived by employers include the ability to retain quality employees, increased company profitability, and an avoidance of costs associated with hiring and training a new employee. In addition to these benefits, providing accommodations in order to retain employees is shown to improve organizational culture and climate, as well as fostering a sense among all employees that employers recognize both the value of the individual worker as a human being, and the inherent social benefits of creating and sustaining an inclusive workplace.