Fears and Facts

Myths about people with disabilities interfere with their ability to experience equality in employment with non-disabled people. These myths usually result from society’s lack of familiarity with disability, which has nourished negative attitudes concerning employing people with disabilities. Listed below are some common myths and the facts that tell the real story.

Myth: Hiring employees with disabilities increases workers’ compensation insurance rates.

Fact: Insurance rates are based solely on the relative hazards of the operation and the organization’s accident history, not on whether workers have disabilities. According to 2002 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability statistics, 73 percent of companies report no cost increases attributable to extending health, life, and/or disability coverage to employees or their dependents with disabilities.

Myth: Employees with disabilities have a higher absentee rate then employees without disabilities.

Fact: Studies by firms such as DuPont show that employees with disabilities are not absent any more than employees without disabilities.

Myth: People with disabilities need to be protected from failing.

Fact: People with disabilities have a right to participate in the full range of human experiences, including success and failure. Employers should have the same expectations of, and work requirements for, all employees.

Myth: People with disabilities are unable to meet performance standards, thus making them a bad employment risk.

Fact: According to 2002 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability statistics, the performance of workers with disabilities is equal to or better than their non-disabled peers. Employees with disabilities have a 90 percent above-average job performance rating, with safety and attendance records far above the norm.

Myth: People with disabilities have problems getting to work.

Fact: People with disabilities are capable of supplying their own mode of transportation, which includes walking, using a car pool, driving, using public transportation, or taking a cab. Their modes of transportation to work are as varied as those of other employees.

Myth: People who are Hard of Hearing or have loss of hearing make ideal employees in noisy work environments.

Fact: Loud noises of a certain vibratory nature can cause further harm to the auditory system of people who are Deaf. Persons who are Hard of Hearing or have loss of hearing should be hired for all jobs that they have the skills and talents to perform. No person with a disability should be judged regarding their employment capabilities without first talking to them.

Myth: Employees with disabilities are more likely to have accidents on the job than employees without disabilities.

Fact: In a 1990 DuPont study, the safety records of both groups were identical.

Myth: Most businesses cannot afford to hire a worker with a disability because of the extra costs to accommodate that worker.

Fact: The real cost of accommodations are broken down as follows:

• Most workers with disabilities require no accommodations [link: Accomodation Support].
• 50% of accommodations cost nothing.
• 50% cost less than an average of $500.

Nationally, the average cost of an accommodation is $35 (JAN 2002 Study).

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