August 18th 2014

People with Physical Disabilities: An Untapped Resource?

As we move forward in the 21st century, workplaces are becoming more and more diverse, be it in terms of culture, religion or gender.  This is in part in response to legal regulations such as Employment Equity in Canada, but also through an improved understanding of the benefits of having employees from a variety of backgrounds. But even with these positive changes, there is one group that doesn’t seem to be reaping the benefits of workplace diversity, and that group is people with disabilities. Unfortunately, people with disabilities have higher unemployment rates and lower wages overall than their able-bodied counterparts in Canada. Interestingly, people with physical disabilities are just as likely to receive post-secondary education, with a higher percentage of people with physical disabilities attending trade schools and business apprenticeship programs. So if people with physical disabilities are getting the same training as their able-bodied peers, what is causing this discrepancy?
One potential reason for the difference in employment rates could be that people with physical disabilities feel discouraged from applying, or continuing in the hiring process. It might not always be possible for a person with a disability to attend an interview at a specific time, or to participate in the screening process as it is advertised, causing an individual to withdraw his or her application, even if he or she is otherwise well suited for the position. Another possible reason for the employment gap could be that employers are not aware of how to accommodate a candidate’s disability while still ensuring the same level of job performance. In these cases, employers are letting good future employees slip away for fear of the costs associated with hiring them. Luckily, there are simple solutions to many of these apparent barriers to employment:
Accommodations during the Selection Process
–          Paper-pencil tests: as technology moves forward, online employment screening is becoming more common, but can exclude the seeing-impaired. Making paper and pencil copies available in large print can allow people with moderate seeing-impairments complete all selection tests.
–          Oral-testing options: similar to paper-pencil options, for any written tests, candidates with severe seeing impairments can be provided with the option of having tests administered orally.
–          Telephone/Video-conference Interviews: allowing candidates with mobility-related disabilities to be interviewed at distance increases your candidate pool, and saves you from losing someone who may have otherwise been a perfect fit because he or she was unable to make arrangements for a process which may take less than two hours.
On-the-Job Accommodations
–          Assistive tools: a onetime investment in  an adapted keyboard, adapted mouse of amplified telephone can allow employees with disabilities to complete work tasks as effectively as their able-bodied coworkers for the duration of their tenure.
–          Modified workspaces: rearranging a workspace can require as little work as providing a lower desk to accommodate a wheelchair user, or allowing an employee with restricted agility to work on the ground floor.
–          Modified work schedules: depending on the nature of the disability and related health requirements, flexible work hours allow employees to complete the same amount of work hours, while still being able to meet with specialists, or receive treatment as required. Modified work schedules can also involve changing the break structure, to allow for more frequent shorter breaks, as opposed to one longer break midway through a work shift, allowing employees with disabilities the flexibility they require without  taking them out of normal working hours.
–          Telework: allowing employees the ability to work from home should their disabilities occasionally make it difficult to leave home will allow them to remain productive and engaged.

Using these simple accommodation solutions can provide a cost effective ways to not only ensure accordance with Employment Equity laws, but also to attract and keep some highly qualified but previously overlooked candidates.

Bibliography
Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2012). Report on equality rights of people with disabilities. (Cat. No. HR4-20/2012E).
Colella, A., & Bruyère, S. M. (2011). Disability and employment: New directions for industrial and organizational psychology. In Z Sheldon (Ed), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol 1: Building and developing the organization (pp. 473-503). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association.
Duckett, P. S. (2000). Disabling employment interviews: Warfare to work. Disability & Society, 15 (7), 1019-1039.
Government of Canada (1995). Employment equity act (S.C. 1995, c. 44). Retrieved from: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/e-5.401/page-1.html
Statistics Canada. (2008).  Participation and Activity Limitation Survey of 2006: Labour Force Experience of People with Disabilities in Canada.