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Top Myths Regarding Disabilities in the Workplace (AODA)

People with disabilities are overlooked when it comes to workplace employment and here are a few top myths. Unproven myths, stereotypes and barriers are a hindrance to those individuals trying to seek employment. There are plenty of benefits and reasons to hire them. Employers fail to recognize the positive benefits and opportunities they bring to their organization. In doing so, employers violate the AODA, the Human Rights Code, and also fail to follow proper Accessible Workplace Requirements.

Below are some Top Myths surrounding disabilities in the workplace that you need to know about.

Myth: Lack of Suitable Job Positions

When employers hear the word disability, they tend to look the other way. Employers believe they are unable to provide a position that person is able to successfully perform. They are wrong to think this way. Employees with disabilities have many unique skills to offer, and are comparable to other employees when it comes to performance.

Myth: Lack of education

Despite having a disability, those seeking employment are well-educated. They have a 50% high school graduation rate, and 40% have post-secondary credentials. Canadian adults with disabilities are 66% as likely to have a post-secondary education as compared to other adults.

Myth: Expensive to Accommodate

Employers think that hiring people needing accommodations is too costly. They believe they need to purchase specialized equipment, and make other modifications. A couple of examples include widened doorways and accessible bathrooms. In fact, in many cases, it’s quite inexpensive to accommodate. Less than half of the costs associated with accommodating people with disabilities cost $1,500 or more. Over half of the changes cost $500 or less. Most accommodations come down to altering work hours or job tasks, and making minor inexpensive modifications to workstations.

Myth: Increased Workplace Absenteeism

Employers believe that new hires will suffer from absenteeism because of appointments and sick days. This, however, is not often the case. Reports have proven those with disabilities have an average, if not better, attendance record compared to other employees.

Myth: Decreased Productivity

People with disabilities may be thought of as less productive because of the time training the individual to successfully perform the job role requires. Employers also believe that people with disabilities may be more dependent on having constant assistance throughout the workday. This has proven to be false. Many reports and studies have shown that those with disabilities are hard-working and very independent workers.