The International Labor Organization estimates that there are approximately 600 million people who are classed as disabled worldwide as of July 2011. Countries around the world are working to give these individuals a better chance at finding and maintaining sufficient employment. However, some disadvantages related to having disabled employees do exist. These disadvantages, along with pervasive myths about the disabled population, often keep qualified workers out of a job or comfortable working environment.Ads by GoogleStart DownloadConvert Any File to a PDF. Get the Free From Doc to Pdf App!www.fromdoctopdf.comSpeed and ProductivityDisabilities sometimes mean that an employer is not able to work at a pace comparable to other employees. For example, it may take longer for someone with a physical disability to move equipment, while someone with a mental disability may take longer to read and interpret documents. This sometimes makes a difference in jobs where the ability to keep pace affects other functions of the company, such as in a factory with an assembly line. However, it is not necessarily a disadvantage in other companies, such as an art restoration business where the quality, not the speed, of each project is more important.DiscriminationAlthough the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws have opened doors for the disabled in the workplace and many employers strive to comply, disabled workers still can face discrimination. For example, coworkers may resist having a disabled worker as a member of their team if the specific disability the disabled worker has would slow down a project. In some cases, these types of issues can force members of a human resources department to intervene and settle conflicts, and the employer may need to take time and resources to remind all employees about the definition and consequences of workplace discrimination.
Related Reading: Advantages & Disadvantages of Collaboration in the Workplace
Update of Infrastructures and Technology
In the United States, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations to workplace infrastructures so that a disabled candidate may work if hired. For instance, they may have to install a wheelchair ramp or modify the physical aspects of the employee's workstation. The employer has to take the time to arrange for the accommodations, which sometimes means there is a delay in active employment or completion of specific projects. Additionally, in some cases, other workers are not familiar with the specific technologies a disabled worker may need. For example, a software specialist who is an expert in company-specific or standard software programs may not be as familiar with a speech-recognition program and therefore may need some time to troubleshoot problems. There may be fewer people on site who can assist the disabled worker if the infrastructure or technologies become an issue. However, these accommodations and delays are not necessarily a financial burden on the employer, as the productivity and loyalty of the disabled employee often more than compensates for the expense of the changes and wait periods.
Considerations
Even though some disadvantages exist regarding disabled people in the workplace, many of what people regard as disadvantages are largely a myth. For instance, people often assume that disabled workers will be absent more often due to their conditions, but in fact, disabled workers miss the same or fewer days of work than their non-disabled counterparts. Disabled workers have higher safety records as well. To dispel these myths, employers and the coworkers of the disabled actively must pursue the creation and distribution of statistical information about this demographic.
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