eSight Community News

"Persons with disabilities are an important segment of the labor force yet they are frequently an untapped resource of workers," said disabilityworks Executive Director Karen McCulloh. "I believe these findings will help set the record straight about what people with disabilities can contribute to the labor force. We've learned that employees with disabilities are working in senior level positions, are pharmacists, nurses, managers of retail stores and work at all levels of jobs just like nondisabled workers. In the not so distant future, it will be increasingly important to recruit talent from this community as the workforce continues to evolve."

In a groundbreaking study, DePaul researchers compared work-related variables of 314 participating employees with and without disabilities and found:

• Participating employees with disabilities had nearly identical job performance ratings as participating employees without disabilities;
• The amount of supervision required was similar for both groups;
• Participants with disabilities from the retail and hospitality sectors stayed on the job longer than their counterparts;
• Very few special accommodations were provided to participating employees with disabilities; and the average cost of the accommodations was only $313.

Despite these positive findings, DePaul researchers found that employer misperceptions often made it difficult for persons with disabilities to obtain employment. Researchers completed focus groups with administrators and human resource personnel to discuss their experiences with workers with disabilities. Overall themes from these focus groups were supportive, but there were also themes reflecting managerial bias. Findings from the focus groups include:

• Employees with disabilities were viewed as dedicated, reliable and providing a positive contribution to the general workforce;
• Some managers expressed concerns about potential cost of accommodations. Meanwhile, most who have experience employing persons with disabilities stated accommodation costs were minimal and worth the expense; and
• Promotion opportunities were limited for workers with disabilities, with many identified as holding and remaining in entry-level positions.

"It is interesting to note that many managers are still concerned about the productivity of workers with disabilities and the costs associated with providing accommodations to this group. However, results of this study show that our participants with disabilities were on par with those who were not disabled across a number of work-related variables," said Brigida Hernandez, assistant professor of psychology at DePaul University and a principal researcher for the study. Over the course of the three-year study, researchers worked with 25 businesses in the Chicago region that were involved as advisors, focus group participants, and sites for the collection of the cost-benefit data. To view the complete research results, visit www.disabilityworks.org.

"Businesses in the retail, hospitality, and healthcare industries are often looking to recruit new employees, and this study demonstrates that persons with disabilities can add a lot of value to their operations," said Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jack Lavin. "Governor Blagojevich and I have been committed to meeting current and future workforce challenges and employers should look to this talent pool to increase the diversity of their workplace and meet their ongoing talent needs."

"Having locally based research findings will be a powerful tool to educate employers who may have been reluctant to recruit and hire people with disabilities based on perceived costs of accommodations, absenteeism or performance," said Commissioner Karen Tamley of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. "We now have the research to refute these widely held misconceptions."

"Chicagoans with disabilities are a vital component of the City's workforce," said Mayor's Office of Workforce Development Commissioner David Hanson. "This study further supports what we already know, that the unique skills and talents of dedicated Chicagoans with disabilities meet the needs of our employers and contribute to the success of our economy."

About disabilityworks

disabilityworks was launched in 2005 at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce as a result of a collaborative public-private partnership established between the Chamber, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the City of Chicago in order to increase the economic and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. disabilityworks strives to break down barriers that keep people with disabilities from finding jobs by working directly with employers to meet labor market demands. Employers can find the right employee through education and job matching, and people with disabilities can find the right kind of job training or job placement program. Learn more by visiting www.disabilityworks.org.

Contact:
Justin DeJong (disabilityworks) 312-494-6725
Roxanne Brown (DePaul) 312-362-8623
Marcelyn Love (DCEO) 217-558-1542