discuss their disabilities, especially if they need an accommodation, such as a computer application to help with low vision or additional space for a wheelchair.
Employers can then choose to meet their request or to provide an effective alternative. According to disabilityworks, accommodations aren’t always required for people with disabilities, and if they are needed, they only cost an average of $300 to $600.
When employers voice concerns about being sued by people with disabilities, Jones tells them “every employee who walks in the door could potentially sue you.” She encourages employers to implement procedures to accommodate people with disabilities and to document their efforts.
“Embrace disability as part of your overall program,” Jones said, “so employees will see a mosaic of society, not something that’s special or different.”
People with disabilities should also be held to the same standards as other employees. If they’ve been disciplined for work-related problems, but still haven’t addressed the issues, she says, employers shouldn’t be afraid to fire them.
Thanks to changes in the ADA and in the economy, people with disabilities are considered the fastest growing minority in the country. Selima Ani, the managing director of the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network for disabilityworks, pointed to groups of people such as mature workers and veterans who could soon join the disabled population.
The number of mature workers, or Americans over 55 who continue to work instead of retire, is increasing, Ani said. They can suffer from multiple disabilities, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, weakness, vision impairment and sleep disorders, so their employers need to know how to accommodate them.
The number of veterans returning home with disabilities is also increasing. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving injuries 16-to-1, Ani said, as compared to the roughly 3-to-1 ratio during the Vietnam conflict. Soldiers with mental disabilities add to these numbers.
According to disabilityworks figures, one in three people between ages 35 and 65 will develop a disability due to accidents or conditions like stroke, cardiac arrest, diabetes or even carpal tunnel syndrome. These people are usually experienced, knowledgeable employees, and their employers will want to keep them on board.
Ani told summit members that there are several other reasons to hire people with dis-
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