Why are employers not hiring people with disabilities in the United States?

Why are employers not hiring people with disabilities in the United States?

Employers in the United States often fail to hire people with disabilities due to a combination of workplace discrimination, misconception in productivity, lack of knowledge and experience, and the fear of legal workplace issues, all of which create unfair barriers to employment opportunities for those with disabilities. 

 

 

 

There are many employers who will not hire someone with a disability, unfortunately many disregard the face that its illegal. According to the. United States Department of Labor “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, state and local government services, and telecommunications.”

 

Workplace discrimination is when an employer will not hire a person due to sex, race, age, ethnicity, disabilities, etc. 

 It isn’t always obvious either. It’s not always someone refusing to hire someone with a disability. More often than people realize, it shows up in subtle ways, like choosing a “safer” candidate for the job, or assuming someone might not fit into the workplace culture that certain business has developed.

 

According to the  U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, people with disabilities are still getting discriminated while trying to get hired by an employer, despite legal protections they have. Unfortunately, many employers and hiring managers look past many qualified candidates for the job, which is all happens due to the face that workers have a disability, and that is not only unfair, but sad.

 

Another issue we see in employers is worries on productivity within a person that has a disability. One very big myth that we hear is that people with disabilities are less productive. Not only is belief inaccurate, but it is also offensive to someone that has a disability. As stated by writers at The Arc “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.” 

 

These misconceptions not only hurt the feelings of the people trying to get the job, but they also affect the workers who wouldn’t hire them, these workers don’t realize they could have just as good as workers. They do not give them the chance to work, and it lowers their chances of getting someone who is a good worker or may be more productive than someone that does not have a disability. 

Hiring managers and employers also simply do not know what to expect from people with disabilities. It can feel very difficult for an employer to answer questions like, “what accommodations are needed,” and “are we going to be able to support this employee”. All these questions go through these employers’ heads, and instead of trying to work with the employee they find it easier to totally avoid the situation and move entirely onto a new candidate.

 

Also, when a person with a disability comes into a job interview, employers have no idea what to expect from them. The workers may be very good, very bad, or just a solid employee to have for the business. Being that it is hard for employers to see this, they find it easier to skip over someone with a disability. In an  article by Bob Peck and Lynn Trew Kirkbridethey state that “businesses rarely admit the real reasons that keep them from hiring people with disabilities. But looking behind the excuses given, it will be evident that the primary reason is fear.” 

 

It is simply fear and not enough knowledge. Fear makes employers question themselves if they are doing the right thing, and instead of fighting it off and thinking of what they can do for the candidate, they go right onto the next. This is unfair on many levels to the disabled candidate, they have no fair shot, they only thing they can really do is keep trying until someone gives them the chances and accommodations, they need to help them work.

 

Another issue we see employers facing is the fear of legal issues coming upon them. Many employers want to make sure their employees are taken care of, with disabled employees, they need to be extra careful. Laws are put in place to prevent discrimination and ensure fairness to all employees. Even though employers are likely to follow these laws. The fear that they may violate them and face a lawsuit. 

 

These issues tend to turn employers off from wanting to hire someone that is disabled. Not for any reason right now, but what they fear may occur in the future.  As stated in an article by HireAbility “the first thing that comes up for employers is some level of fear. That may be fear that someone with a disability can’t do the job, fear of offending your employee, or fear that your team won’t respond well to a new employee with a disability. Unfortunately, all these can lead to a disabled person taking legal action on a business because they think they were not getting treated right.”

At the end of the day, the issue is not what people with disabilities can do for a business, it’s whether the employer gives them a chance to prove their potential. Creating equal opportunities in the workplace isn’t only the right thing to do, it’s the necessary step to better and more productive America.