Collaboration for Action | Houston, TX

1. Myth: Hiring employees with disabilities increases workers compensation insurance rates.

Fact: Insurance rates are based solely on the relative hazards of the operation and the organization's accident experience, not on whether workers have disabilities.

2. Myth: Providing accommodations for people with disabilities is expensive.

Fact: The majority of workers with disabilities do not need accommodations to perform their jobs, and for those who do, the cost is usually minimal. In fact, 56% of accommodations cost less than $600, with many costing nothing at all.

3. Myth: The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) forces employers to hire unqualified individuals with disabilities.

Fact: Unqualified candidates are not protected under the ADA. To be protected from discrimination in hiring, an individual must first meet all requirements for a job and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

4. Myth: Employees with disabilities have a higher absentee rate than employees without disabilities.

Fact: Studies by firms such as DuPont show that employees with disabilities are not absent any more than employees without disabilities.

5. Myth: Under the ADA, an employer cannot fire an employee who has a disability.

Fact: Employers can fire workers with disabilities under three conditions:

The termination is unrelated to the disability or;

The employee does not meet legitimate requirements for the job, such as performance or production standards, with or without a reasonable accommodation or;

Because of the employee’s disability, he or she poses a direct threat to health or safety in the workplace.

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy)