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Debunking Disability Myths

Employers are always on the lookout for new ways to recruit employees. Finding fresh or untapped groups of qualified people to recruit is difficult, especially when many employers overlook disabled people. Statistics show that the United States has approximately 11 million disabled adults. Less than 40% of them are employed. Instead of looking at disabled employees as a potential burden on a company, it is time to look at them as the incredible resource they are.

First recognize that disabled employees have no impact the money that a company spends on workers compensation. These rates are calculated solely on the organizations inherent hazards and their accident history. Hiring a disabled employ will not raise these rates.

Another common myth that needs to be debunked is that disabled employees are more likely to miss work due to illness or infirmity. Statistically this is simply not true. Hiring a disabled employee will not result in a higher rate of absenteeism.

It is also not necessary to spend your entire budget on specialized accommodations for disabled employees. The law states that as an employer you must simply provide â€˜reasonableâ€™ improvements. It is also interesting to note many employees do not require any changes at all and for those employees that do more than 80% of the time, these changes cost under $1000.00.

Finally, recognize that disabled employees are able to perform to the standards you have set for your non-disabled employees. In fact, studies show that the disable typically perform at standard or above it.

Hiring disabled individuals isnâ€™t a bad idea â€“ in fact it is a rather good one. All of the common reasons that are typically given for not hiring disabled employees simply no longer apply. Now is the time to begin to tap into an almost endless pool of talanted and qualified candidatesâ€¦disabled Americans.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Disability, Discrimination, Employment, Person, Reasonable accommodation, Sports, United States, Workers' compensation

Understanding Disability: MichaelsHouse.com

It’s a too common condition – forced from perpetual sips, the insatiable tastes. Alcoholism has become one of America’s most familiar diseases (a rapid progression that was never predicted but should have been); and yet too often is it believed to be without concern. Individuals assume its effects are momentary, certain they can be overcome with simple patience. The masses sample all brews, sure there will be no consequences later. And drink after drink is experienced, eventually forming a dependence that cannot be denied.

This makes it a tragedy. It also, however, makes it a disability.

The definition of a disability is often obscured. Most assume it to be a physical hindrance, keeping the sufferer from being able to participate in the world. This is not entirely accurate, though. The true meaning of this word is: an impairment of mind, body or emotional state that is in some way debilitating. It’s not always determined by birth but instead can be gained over time – whether through illness, accident or poor choices.

Alcoholism is a reflection of those choices.

An individual who depends on any form of liquor to sustain his motivation or manage his problems (whether real or imaginary) suffers from this disease. And it is a collection of sad side-effects, such as: potential heart failure, liver damage, lowered inhibitions, aggression and suicidal tendencies. This brands it far worse than the simple pastime most believe it to be. It is instead a disability.

Understanding this is vital. Treatment will not be sought if individuals think themselves healthy. And organizations like MichaelsHouse.com (nationally recognized and able to offer aid to those who need it) will be ignored, assumed unimportant. The concept of impairment must be revised within the public consciousness. Refusing to do so will only result in alcoholism remaining the worry it has become – rather than the medical condition is must instead be named.

Filed Under: Disability, Health Care, Life Tagged With: Disability, Disease, United States

Firing Disabled Employees – Should You Give Importance To The Disability?

: Image via Wikipedia

Should you adopt a lenient approach when assessing the work of the disabled employee? If there is a recession going on and if you are thinking of laying off your staff to save money, then the task of laying off the disabled employee can be a very problematic one.

For starters, most of us tend to adopt a sympathetic approach to the disabled employee. The end result is that the employees are retained for considerations other than efficiency and employability.

Needless to say, this will create resentment in the minds of other employees who feel that they are being assessed harshly while the disabled employee is enjoying the leniency just because he or she is disabled.

They may even conclude that the disabled employee must have requested for special treatment. Whether this is true or not becomes irrelevant. In such a scenario, employee morale can take a huge dip and you may end up struggling to maintain efficiency and cost savings despite your best efforts.

Does this mean that you should purposefully fire the disabled employee just because you want to showcase that you are very fair and rational? As an employer, you will have to assess the job of each and every individual in an impartial and unbiased manner. Your job is to earn profits and not to do charity.

The very purpose of employing a disabled person was not only to facilitate him or her to earn an income but also to extract value from his or her efforts. No other parameter should enter the analysis.

If this means firing disabled employees, so be it. Remember, you cannot please everybody when you are taking harsh decisions. Either ways the disabled employee or the remaining employees may feel that you have been unfair. Do not try to please everybody. Rather, try to be consistent and fair. This will work to your benefit in the long run.

Filed Under: Disability, Health Care, Rehabilitation Tagged With: Disability, Employment, United States

A Disabled Person May Have Many Hidden Skills – Use Them Smartly In Office

Thinking out of the box when employing people with disabilities is very important. Expecting disabled individuals to fit the parameters are laid down for ordinary and normal individuals is a flawed approach. Many persons presume that it is unfair to expect disabled individuals to match up to the requirements and expectations applicable to fully able individuals.

Yet, the opposite can also be true. There is a possibility that a disabled person may put in a lot more effort and may work a lot harder to be good at whatever he or she does. The fact that there is a disability involve may encourage individual to work harder. In such a scenario, applying ordinary standards to a person who has extraordinary skills would obviously result in under utilization.

This is an approach very few individuals recognize or accept. The idea of a disabled individual being extraordinary is very difficult to digest. Well, if a person with one hand can do the same job that is done by others with two hands, is it not obvious that the person is extraordinary? The fact that he does not have a choice is irrelevant. In such a scenario, you can easily utilize the skills by applying different standards.

A person who does not have strong eyesight would automatically have a very sharp mind and strong power of imagination. This is because the loss of visual faculty will obviously require compensation by strengthening other senses. If the disabled individual shows a tendency to be creative and think out of the box, you can assign additional duties that maybe attached to policy making and implementation aspects.

Of course, these innovative approaches will not be very easy to sell. To counter the perception that disabled persons are weak and inefficient will require a lot of hard work. The employees would be required to prove themselves on a constant basis to stay at the same level.

Filed Under: Disability, Health Care Tagged With: Disability, Employment, United States

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities are usually manifested in childhood, sometimes at birth, but can be detected as late as early adulthood or even middle-aged in some cases. Often, symptoms go undetected, undiagnosed and untreated for such long periods of time they become the “norm” and the routine acceptable form of behavior. While this practice may not be so unusual, it only becomes a problem when the developmental progress in individuals is not on par with other members of their age group. The obvious differences in individuals can be the alarm that something is unequal and may require intervention.

In children, developmental disabilities are usually detected early on, and generally then by a parent. This is common for children who do not perform on cue along with the other kids in his age group. Perhaps he was a late walker at two years old when the other kids around him where wobbling at 9 months. Or maybe his first uttered words were stammering stutters at three or four when his junior counterparts were forming short sentences at 18 months.

Any developmental disability that presents in children is likely going to be significant and persistent and can be remedied through medication and/or behavior modification. Although the disability will often substantially limit the daily living and interaction functions of the individual, they can still lead a full, normal life as they find various coping mechanisms to help them with their challenges.

General developmental disabilities can run the range of slow developmentally delayed to severely developmentally delayed. The range can include anything from speech impediments, motor functioning challenges, autism disorders, cerebral palsy, brain or spinal cor injuries that affect development, Down’s syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. Currently, in the United States there are approximately 4.5 million individuals who present and deal with the difficulties and challenges of living life with developmental disabilities.

Filed Under: Disability, Health Care Tagged With: Developmental disability, Disability, Down syndrome, United States

Disabled and Unable to Find Work: Why?

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According to a published report by the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, workers with disabilities are more likely to be out of work or only work part-time as compared to those without disabilities. The results are daunting as many disabled Americans struggle to find gainful employment amidst a struggling economy and amongst companies that are having layoffs and hiring freezes.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 19.2 percent of disabled Americans earn a paycheck while compared to more than 64.5 percent of those who do not have any disability earn a steady income. Despite a sluggish economy, the statistical numbers show that although there are individuals who are enjoying an income, the disable population is at a severe imbalance in securing and advancing in the job market.

The assistant secretary for the Department of Labor disability office speculates that some employers hesitate to employ disabled workers because of the fear of additional costs and special accommodations that would be required to give them training for their skilled area. Although in these cases this action could be considered discrimination and an illegal act, according to the assistant secretary, the biggest problem exists in the fear and attitudes that potential employers might have in hiring those individuals with a disability. The employer’s attitude is that since the jobless rate tends to be higher amongst disabled workers, this cost adds significantly to the rising costs of disability benefits which directly affects employer costs, thereby discouraging them to hire workers with disabilities.

Overcoming this hiring problem does not have a fast-acting solution, but requires educating and helping employers to be sensitive to the needs of the disabled community. Many employer-assistance programs funded by the government can help encourage employers to provide work for the disabled individual without incurring rising costs within the company. Over time, these types of programs and assistance can prove to be fruitful and a value in employing those with disabilities and increasing the percentage of those who earn a paycheck while being gainfully employed in their skill or vocation.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Disability, Employment, Government, Unemployment, United States, United States Department of Labor, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post

Creating Accessible and Convenient Resources for the Disabled

For the disabled, having access to many resources that the non-disabled may take for granted can be a very gratifying experience. Accessibility is a very big part of social and economic inclusion for people who suffer with challenging disabilities. In order for a disabled person to participate in and be a functioning part of community life, they must first be given access to the resources and conveniences that will enable them to do so. For the disabled, having an environment free of encroachments is a key step towards fulfilling those rights that they so richly deserve.

Some key areas where the disabled community can and should participate in and be able to have the same determining choices that are available to those in the community who are non-disabled include:

- Transportation Access
This is an area that includes all forms of transportation including public transit systems like the bus or the train, and vehicle amendments that would make it conducive for a person who is physically challenged to get to the places they need to go.

- Political Access
Many communities have a system where they have special places and areas set up for those who are physically disabled. If the person has full rights as a citizen, they can and should be afforded the opportunity to exercise their voting rights and opinions without discrimination.

- Conveniences of Water and Sanitation Supplies
Many public facilities, churches, restaurants and schools provide resources and access for those with disabilities to be able to make full use of the facilities in the appropriate manner. To make it convenient for them may include things like lowered water fountains and handicap-accessible bathrooms.

- Technology Access
This would include resources that are for the visually and/or hearing impaired individuals with those disabilities. Libraries, churches and other public facilities have made these resources convenient for that segment of the population.

- Access to Communication and Media Sources
This would include access to the same source of information on a general scale, but tailored for the disabled group and can include Braille newspapers or telephones designed for those who are tone deaf or hearing impaired.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Accessibility, Disability, Disabled, Hearing impairment, Public transport, Technology, Transport, United States

The Need for Community-Based Rehab

: Image by Cambodia Trust via Flickr

Disabilities can affect all classes, types and economical conditions of individuals in any capacity. Although disabilities are often classified within its own group, there are resources and organizations that are dedicated to helping individuals who suffer with challenges to reach better potentials and to raise their circumstances. Various communities have implemented systems and resources to help the disabled community moreso from a standpoint of enabling them rather than pitying them. This not only greatly strengthens the community, but it also provides a foundation for the community to come together and help people on both an individual level and a group level.

Community Based Rehab (CBR) is a very popular strategy that is used within communities to help implement rehabilitation systems for the disabled. It includes a social inclusion and an equalization of resources and opportunities for children and adults who suffer with disabilities of any kind, whether those challenges are physical, psychological or emotional.

A Community Based Rehab program is generally implemented through the efforts of the people in the community who suffer with the disability themselves. They, along with their families and other community supporters are able to provide resources in several general areas including health, educational, social and vocational services.

Because the resources are all pooled together, the strength of the community is heightened and the disabled population no longer operates at a disadvantage, but are more equally involved. It also helps to boost morale and strengthen the compassion and appreciation from the community as a whole.

This type of rehab in the community is so productive because the community works together and combines their strengths and resources to provide a total solution for those in the community who are disabled and need the help. Because the community works together as one functioning unit, families are strengthened and there is a greater appreciation and respect for those in the community who may have certain challenges.

Filed Under: Disability Tagged With: Disabilities, Disability, Disability Resources, Disabled, Education, Health, Organization, United States

Americans with Disabilities Act: What Does it Say?

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On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bushed signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law, known as the “ADA,” was meant to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities. The original law was re-evaluated by President George W. Bush in September 2008, and he created the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). The amendment redefined “disability,” giving it a broader meaning and allowing more persons to seek protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ADA opens with the “Findings” of Congress, stating that disabled persons deserve to partake in all aspects of life, and should not be discriminated against by society. The Congress suggests that disabled persons have, historically, been subjected to much prejudice, in employment, transportation options, segregation and so forth. The “Findings” conclude that American discrimination against disabled persons should be terminated.

After explaining the “Purposes” of the ADA, the document explains certain definitions in great detail, specifically the words “disability” and “discrimination.” The document makes a specific point regarding drug addiction, stating that although drugs may cause physical impairment, they do not qualify as a “disability.”

Title I explains the new employment regulations. This section declares that employers should not discriminate against disabled individuals. If a disabled person is qualified to do the work, he or she should be treated as an equal. This law includes all aspects of the workplace, ranging from hiring to benefits.

The next section, Title II, addresses public transportation. The document states that disabled persons should be able to comfortably use public transportation, and requires public entities to make future modifications with this regulation in mind. Title III specifically addresses private entities, and declares that disabled persons should have easy access to all public accommodations and facilities. All new constructions or alterations must be compliant with the regulations set out by the ADA. Title IV addresses Telecommunications, and states that companies in the United States must allow easy communication for disabled consumers. This section includes regulations regarding nationwide telecommunications relay services.

Filed Under: Disability, Life Tagged With: Disability, Employment, United States