Disability  (Page 2/3)

This study also revealed that the employment percentage of working-age individuals who are disabled but not institutionalized is only 19.3. The research found that the median annual household income for disabled persons was $36,300 compared to $60,000 for persons who were not disabled. In addition, in 2002, five hundred random interviews conducted with businesses across America revealed that most companies do not employ anyone with a disability. Specifically, only 26 percent of US business in 2002 had one employee with a disability. Twenty percent of employers interviewed admitted their own discrimination as the main reason for not hiring disabled individuals. Employers also stated they did not know how to find people with disabilities to hire; they did not know how to interview them; and they did not know how to address needed accommodations and assistive technology (i.e. TTY phone system; voice-activated computers and telephones). Other reasons were the assumptions that a disabled person could not perform to the standards of the business and it would be too costly to provide the necessary accommodations for the disabled person. (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics, 2006 Disability Status Report. Ithaca, NY; Cornell University.)

Discrimination

In an attempt to eliminate discrimination in the workplace against people with disabilities, the US Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was passed by the United States government. The provisions of the Act state that any government-funded organization must provide accessibility programs and services to disabled people. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created and became effective in 1992. The ADA is a significant civil rights law designed to eliminate the obstacles of employment, stop discrimination, and guarantee education for disabled individuals. Its purpose is to protect qualified individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against in the employment areas of hiring; firing; job training and placement, and advancement; compensation; and any privileges of employment. The ADA applies to labor unions, employment agencies, private companies, restaurants, retails stores, movie theaters, and state and local governments which employ fifteen or more people. The ADA offers protection to persons with a physical or mental impairment which limits one or more of their life activities, and requires employers to extend

reasonable accommodations

Moreover, advocacy groups across the country continue striving to increase the percentage of employed disabled persons through programs which promote employer awareness and dispel myths surrounding the disabled community. The progress is slow, and data collected through research is the most effective tool to change skepticism in hiring into enthusiasm in hiring. These awareness programs highlight the abilities of the disabled person rather than their disability . Many employers are finally beginning to recognize the value a person has to offer rather than focusing on that person’s disability. The changing culture of today’s business world also makes it easier for a disabled person to get hired. Businesses are not as rigid as they were in the past and turnover is more rapid. New concepts put into place such as flexible work hours, working from home, and teleworking (videoconferences, net meetings, etc.) can all have a positive impact in the hiring of disabled persons.