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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in effect since 1990 -- long enough for many employers of workers with disabilities to become adept at providing "reasonable accommodations." Yet many job seekers with disabilities still wonder if employer concerns about the cost of compliance unduly influence hiring decisions.
First, say experienced HR professionals and ADA experts, consider what noncompliance can cost an employer. In fiscal year 2006, for example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) resolved 15,045 disability discrimination charges and recovered $48.8 million in monetary benefits for workers who did not receive accommodations to which they are entitled under the ADA. The federal law covers employers with 15 or more employees.
On the flip side, with 43 million Americans suffering from physical or mental disabilities, according to the Council for Disability Rights, a job seeker with such disabilities might think the cost of the accommodations needed for ADA compliance could be prohibitive. But it's usually not.
D.J. Hendricks, project manager for the US Department of Labor-funded Job Accommodation Network, says her organization compiled information throughout the '90s. The typical cost of an accommodation was less than $500. A follow-up survey by Dr. Peter Blanck of the University of Iowa will show the costs have remained roughly the same, Hendricks says, though the data has not been officially released.
Simple Accommodations
Often, accommodations are relatively easy to provide. An employee with HIV or AIDS might be easily fatigued, have impaired vision or suffer nausea. The necessary accommodations might include an ergonomic chair with extra padding, a large-screen computer monitor, a workstation near a restroom and a flexible schedule.
An employee with attention deficit disorder (ADD) might need screen-reading software, a "white noise" sound machine and a cubicle that reduces distractions. A supervisor could help the employee break tasks into highly structured chunks, rather than assigning them all at once.
A wheelchair user could be provided a height-adjustable desk or table, an accessible filing system and mobility-enhancing floors. Hearing-impaired employees can use TTY or TDD devices, instant messaging or Internet chat software, and the company could install visible fire alarms.
The Right Job for the Right Person
None of these are particularly onerous, says James Bertoluzzi, human resources director for Tauck World Discovery, an international tour company based in Norwalk, Connecticut. "Businesses have accepted ADA," he says. "Everyone is willing to put an employee who becomes disabled back to work. It's the same with hiring. We want people who can do a job, and if we have to lower a table or figure out a way that person can telecommute, we'll do it."
Tauck has hired people with mental disabilities in its mailroom. "These folks have performed very well at repetitious tasks," Bertoluzzi says. "They take great pride in their work, they're very loyal and they'll be here the rest of their lives doing the job right. That cuts down on our turnover and training. The key thing is to match the person with a disability to the right job."
Ann Reesman, general counsel for the Equal Employment Advisory Council, agrees "hard costs" are not the issue with compliance. "We know there are costs that employers can't quantify," she says. "Someone might need to use public transportation, because their disability prevents them from driving. How do you figure out the cost of a flexible schedule? Or when a supervisor has to spend time listing tasks each day for someone with ADD or a mental disability -- those are soft-dollar costs. It can be burdensome, but employers have learned to live with it. And the companies I work with, primarily federal contractors, know they have an obligation to hire workers who are disabled. They're not only used to it, they make a special effort to do it."
The Highest Cost: Losing Good Employees
In fact, in a tight job market, hiring workers with disabilities who can do a good job makes business sense.
"When Congress first considered the ADA, there were a lot of ‘Chicken Little' arguments about how much it would cost," says Andrew Imparato, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities. "The vast majority of what the ADA requires is what any good employer would do to make sure he gets the most productivity out of every worker. You don't really need federal legislation to lower a desk for someone in a wheelchair. Nowadays, that's something every employer instinctively does."
