DePaul Study Explores the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities

A DePaul University study, commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s disabilityworks initiative, and made possible through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, examines the costs and benefits of employing people with disabilities. The report is entitled Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities. The study examined costs and benefits within three sectors (healthcare, retail, and hospitality) using focus groups and cost-benefit surveys. Findings from the focus group phase revealed the following central themes:

• Disability employment agencies and disability advocates were critical for recruiting and hiring workers with disabilities
• Managers were viewed as having biases against workers with disabilities and concerns with the cost of accommodations
• Promotion opportunities were limited for workers with disabilities, with many identified as holding and remaining in entry-level positions
• Costs associated with workers with disabilities were minimal and worth the expense
• Benefits associated with workers with disabilities included having dedicated and reliable employees and a more diverse workforce.

Findings from the cost-benefit surveys found important benefits including:

• Participants with disabilities from the retail and hospitality sectors stayed on the job longer than participants without disabilities
• Across all sectors, participants with disabilities had fewer scheduled absences than those without disabilities
• Regardless of sector, participants with and without disabilities had nearly identical job performance ratings
• The number of worker’s compensation claims of retail participants with and without disabilities were equivalent. However, there were some areas where healthcare participants did not fare as well such as job tenure.

For access to the report and executive summary, see http://www.disabilityworks.org/default.asp?contentID=1

---