The Choice Group

      This month, JAN, the Job Accommodations Network, released the findings of a study they conducted beginning in 2004.  JAN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor.  Interviewing over 2,000 employers, the JAN report covers a range of industry sectors and sizes.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act and regulations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission refocused attention on workplace accommodations by broadening the definition of disability.  In interviewing employers, the study found that cost of accommodations was a concern of employers, however, the study showed that workplace accommodations are not only low cost but positively impacts the workplace in many ways.       These are their main findings: 1.  Employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees 2.  Most employers rep...

      There are a lot of misconceptions out there among employers surrounding the topic of hiring people with disabilities.  False ideas that employees with disabilities will need more sick days or leave, ideas that job accommodations will be costly, and even that work tasks will not be performed to par.  In so many cases, this could not be further from the truth.      The profile of an employee with a disability is that of a top performing employee.  With little to no absences and a steady output of progress on tasks assigned to them, a person with a disability can be the backbone in your workforce.            Job accommodations for people with disabilities are most commonly low-tech solutions that won’t cost the employer very much if anything at all.  Through the Job Accommodations Network (JAN), employers have access to free consultations and advice no matter the size of their busin...