I consulted with a telecommunications company who had been working to hire individuals with disabilities in their call centers. The initiative had been in place for several years, and over that time they were tracking the results of individuals with disabilities in comparison to employees they had hired in similar roles who did not have a disability.
The results were stunning.
Individuals with disabilities, on average:
~ stayed with the company longer,
~ had better attendance, and
~ to the surprise of some, had lower benefits claims.
As you might expect, the individuals with disabilities did often require equipment to help them perform their job, so there was a “reasonable accommodation” expense…
$115.
Yep, the average “reasonable accommodation” investment reported over the years was, on average, $115.
To be sure, there were some accommodations that were higher, but the average was just a bit over a hundred bucks.
A tip of the hat to companies like this, who sincerely and earnestly work to recruit, hire and retain individuals with disabilities. In doing so they found committed, responsible employees who had good jobs for which they were more than qualified to perform.
Hear me– disability does not mean inability.
Mark Hirschfeld 
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