When most people see “people with disabilities,” many immediately think of someone in a wheelchair, or a person using some type of adaptive equipment device. This overlooked group isn’t minuscule either. According to an article from Nonprofit Quarterly, individuals with disabilities make up an estimated 61 million Americans, and about seven million have intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, according to a report from the Return On Disability Group, 90% of companies had diversity priorities, but only 4% factored in disability.
The definition of disability is complex, and the conversation around it is constantly changing. While some disabilities are visible, many are not. In recent years, more research has been emphasizing “invisible disabilities.” Examples can include anxieties, neurodivergence and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some disabilities covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act may not immediately come to mind, such as major depressive disorder, diabetes, learning disabilities, migraine headaches, gastrointestinal disorders and menopause.
I have an “invisible disability” from my time in the Air Force. I sustained a severe traumatic brain injury while on active duty and spent over 40 days in a comatose state and was on life support. During my rehabilitation, I displayed multiple challenges due to short-term memory, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a decreased rate of processing information and decreased ability of executive planning.
Today, I am more than 33 years post-injury, and if you look at me now, you will not see a physical disability. I can sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and do just about anything a nondisabled person can do. My challenges are my invisible disabilities. I went to college to study physical therapy after my injury, and I used and relied on the university’s Office of Disabilities to receive the appropriate accommodations so I could be on the same level as my nondisabled classmates. The accommodations provided to me within an educational environment are no different than those an organization would provide for someone with a disability. The university’s accommodations helped set me up for success in the classroom. The same is true for organizations that provide accommodations to facilitate people with disabilities to have success in the workforce.
Disability Does Not Mean Inability
The top reason organizations don’t invest in a disability-inclusive initiative is employers believing that people with disabilities cannot perform the jobs they have available. Among those surveyed, “nearly all managers (92%) who are aware that one or more of their employees have a disability said those individuals perform the same as or better than their peers who don't have disabilities. HR managers responded similarly (97%).” If given the opportunity, individuals with disabilities are as capable as someone without a disability.
Regarding concerns over the costs of hiring someone with a disability, the Office of Disability Employment Policy busts the myth of “expensive accommodations” by stating that “most workers with disabilities don’t need accommodations to perform their jobs.” It went on to say that “58% of accommodations cost absolutely nothing to make, while the rest typically cost only $500. Moreover, tax incentives are available to help employers cover the costs of accommodations, as well as modifications required to make their businesses accessible to persons with disabilities.”
Leveraging Data
A company’s culture cannot be inclusive if an entire marginalized community is left out of the conversation. Data is key to improving workforce inclusion for people with disabilities.
In September 2023, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities announced a decision designating people with disabilities as a population demographic. The National Council on Disability celebrates this designation as a significant victory for people with disabilities. NCD Chairman Andrés Gallegos stated, “Finally, NIH recognized people with disabilities as a demographic, and NIH attention and funding can rightly focus on researching solutions to the health disparities that too many of us have experienced for far too long—this is great news.”
As a person with a disability, I frequently voiced my challenges and deficits to all educators and workforce organizations. I did this mainly because I knew I would make mistakes or forget to follow through with important information or deadlines. Even though I have made my share of mistakes and missed important meetings, I remained highly productive while advancing in my career and moving up the corporate ladder.
I’ve earned a Master of Science in physical therapy and a master’s in business administration, and I was nominated and selected as a Presidential Management Fellow working with the Veteran Affairs’ Undersecretary for Health and as a VA/DOD Academic Affiliations Manager. Today I’m working as the director of spinal cord injury and disorders rehabilitation therapy services. I also am in the second year of a three-year term as ACHE’s Regent-At-Large for District 6, which encompasses uniformed services and Veterans Affairs. In this role, I can advocate for ensuring demographic data includes individuals with disabilities.
Based on how my career has progressed, there are clear business benefits of disability inclusion. Research from Accenture shows companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting persons with disabilities in their workforces have outperformed their peers.
Hopefully, as people with disabilities becomes a constant demographic during research and data collection, more companies will begin to see the benefits of including, hiring and promoting people with disabilities. Tools like the Disability Equality Index provide comprehensive benchmarking to help organizations build and follow a roadmap for disability inclusion.
Workers with disabilities bring unique voices and sets of lived experiences to every conversation, and today’s healthcare workforce challenges provide an opportune time to seek out and hire them. This will afford organizations the opportunity to achieve financial, growth and purpose-focused goals. These policies will help organizations’ employees and potential employees have a fair shot and feel included and heard.
John W. Sharpe, FACHE, is director of SCI&D therapy services, Central Virginia Veterans Health Care System, Richmond, Va., and the Regent-At-Large for District 6.
Resources
The Workforce Recruitment Program connects federal employers to highly motivated candidates with disabilities. Additionally, private organizations can use the following to help employers recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities:
- Employment Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion
- Disability:IN
- Job Accommodation Network
- National Labor Exchanges
- The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology
- Employer Financial Incentives
- Inclusion@Work: A Framework for Building Disability-Inclusive Organization