Disability Employment Stigmas And Misconceptions

Even though the workforce is now more integrated than it has ever been before, there are still a large number of stigmas and misconceptions around people with disabilities in the workplace. These stigmas are not only hurtful to people with disabilities but also hurt our economy and our society. Here are some of the most pervasive stigmas, misconceptions, and misunderstandings about people with disabilities in the workplace, why they are wrong, and what the truth is.

Myth #1: People With Disabilities Are Unable To Do Meaningful Work:

An unfortunately common stereotype for people with disabilities is that they are only able to do menial tasks. This is often equated to them only being able to do jobs like food service, cleaning, or other physical work. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

People with disabilities are more than able to do meaningful work. While they may require some reasonable accommodations to be able to do the job, once they have those they are as capable as any other employee. An article written by Mass.gov [1] says, 

In 1990, the research organization, DuPont surveyed 811 employees with disabilities and discovered that around 90%  of employees rated average or better in job performance compared to 95% for those who did not have disabilities [1]. This shows that people with disabilities have no trouble doing meaningful work.

Myth #2: People WIth Disabilities Aren’t Qualified To Do Meaningful Work

A very harmful stigma about people with disabilities is that they are unable to complete schooling, get degrees, or otherwise do things that would qualify them for meaningful work. With proper accommodations and support, people with disabilities are more than able to get high school diplomas, college degrees, and sometimes even post-graduate degrees. They can do anything that any other person can do.

Myth #3: People WIth Disabilities Require More Training And Help Than Employees Without Disabilities

Another misconception is that people with disabilities have to have their hands held on the job or that they are unable to work on their own. This is untrue. A person with disabilities, once they receive the proper training, is just as capable to do the job regularly as people without disabilities. They do not require someone to stand over their shoulder and help them with every task. Give them some space and allow them to demonstrate how they can do the work.

Myth #4: People With Disabilities Have To Be Protected Because They Can’t Handle Failure:

A similar misconception is that people with disabilities have to be protected from failure or hardship because they won’t be able to handle it or will shut down. The reality is much different. While no one likes failure, it is a necessary part of the learning process. This is true for people with disabilities as well. If you don’t give people with disabilities the ability to fail and learn from their mistakes, they will never grow as people or employees. Employers need to give people with disabilities the tools they need to succeed, but it is up to them to make it happen.

Myth #6: People With Disabilities Require Extremely Expensive Accommodations

It is a common belief that the accommodations that some people with disabilities require are extremely expensive for a business to implement [2]. This is a hurtful misconception as it keeps people with disabilities from getting hired because businesses are afraid to have to spend large amounts of money accommodating that employee. While accommodations can cost some money, they are far less than what people commonly believe.

The majority (Around 58%) of accommodations cost little to nothing at all and the rest usually cost $500 or less [3]. The vast majority of accommodations for employees with disabilities would cost next to nothing to implement. 

Myth #7: People With Disabilities Need Transport

Are people with disabilities able to drive? Another common misconception is that people are unable to drive [1]. This is largely false. Most people with disabilities are more than capable of learning to drive and transport themselves.

While some people with disabilities may indeed need transport this is no different than regular employees. People with disabilities are just as capable of arranging a way to get work, regardless of the medium– as any person without disabilities.

Myth #8: People With Disabilities Are Consistently Absent More Than Employees Without Disabilities

Another misconception is that people with disabilities frequently miss work more than employees without disabilities. This is simply false. Studies [1] have shown that people with disabilities, on average, miss the same amount of work as people without disabilities.

Myth #9: People With Disabilities Are Disruptive To The Work Environment

Another stigma of people with disabilities is that they are loud and obnoxious. Employers are afraid to hire them because they believe that they may create tensions or problems in the workplace. They believe that their disability would serve as a major distraction in the workplace and keep people from getting work done.

This is hardly a justified stigma. People with disabilities are just as capable as non-disabled people to be accountable for their actions. If there is a person with disabilities who is proving to be a major disrupting force in the workplace they can be treated just as a non-disabled employee would be. People with disabilities are just as able to be calm and accountable employees as everyone else.

Conclusion:

Stigmas do not just hurt the people that are being stigmatized, they hurt everyone [4]. Disabled people make up a large portion of the United State’s population. Leaving them out of the workforce because of stigmatization and misunderstandings would have a sizeable negative effect on our economy as a nation. By and large people with disabilities are just as capable, skilled, and valid as their non-disabled counterparts.

Reference List

[1] Hiring Disabled Workers: Myths and Facts | Mass.gov [Internet]. www.mass.gov. [cited 2023 Aug 2]. Available from: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/hiring-disabled-workers-myths-and-facts#:~:text=MYTH%3A%20Persons%20with%20disabilities%20are%20unable%20to%20meet%20performance%20standards

[2] Myths about hiring people with disabilities [Internet]. Brock University. 2019 [cited 2023 Aug 2]. Available from: https://brocku.ca/ccee/hirebrocku/bridge-to-success-for-employers/myths/

[3]  Employers and the ADA: Myths and Facts | U.S. Department of Labor [Internet]. www.dol.gov. [cited 2023 Aug 2]. Available from: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/publications/fact-sheets/americans-with-disabilities-act

[4] Inclusively. Matthew Shapiro: Disability Stereotypes That Won’t Go Away [Internet]. Inclusively. 2021 [cited 2023 Aug 2]. Available from: https://www.inclusively.com/matthew-shapiro-disability-stereotypes-that-wont-go-away/

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By: David Walby  

David Walby is a local student attending Indiana University–Columbus for a B.A. in English. He is also a published writer, artist, and all-around creative who always seeks to better himself–and others–whenever possible.