Employers cannot let disability perceptions limit hiring choices

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Employers cannot let disability perceptions limit hiring choices

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AID=/20080206/OPINION02/802060328/1014/OPINION

One of Pepsi's Super Bowl ads provides a humorous take on two deaf

men who cannot find the Super Bowl party at a friend's house. The ad

was devised, written and acted by PepsiCo. employees with

disabilities, and it illustrates how the company values its workers

with disabilities.

People with disabilities want to work. Employment is key to

independence. Today, more than 290,000 people with disabilities are

employed in Michigan. They are shopkeepers, salespeople, managers and

owners, succeeding at every level of business, government and

nonprofit work. Yet, 65% of people with disabilities remain

unemployed.

Employers know state and federal laws prohibit discriminating against

people with disabilities and require reasonable workplace

accommodations. The government also provides three federal tax

incentives to encourage hiring people with disabilities:

The Disabled Access Tax Credit allows small businesses to take

credits of up to $10,250 annually for 50% of the cost of

modifications and accommodations.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit gives employers a tax credit during

the year of hire for certain people with disabilities, up to $2,400

per person ($4,800 for certain disabled veterans).

The Barrier Removal Tax Deduction allows an expense deduction up to

$15,000 annually for making facilities and vehicles accessible for

employees.

Technology also has removed many barriers in the workplace. People

without speech use computers to work and communicate; screen readers

make documents, computers and the Internet available to people

without sight; scooters and power wheelchairs provide mobility, and

high-speed connections make " teleworking " from home viable.

Yet, discrimination still exists. Why? The biggest barrier is the

silent questioning going on inside the mind of an employer about an

applicant with a disability: " Can she really do the work? "

A few tips in response:

Don't try to picture yourself doing the job with the applicant's

disability. You can't know how it will work because you haven't lived

with the disability.

Learn how to interview correctly; you'll get the information you need

from the applicant and you'll follow the law. For more detail,

explore Web sites that describe how employers should interview and

hire.

Provide accommodations to workers with disabilities. Having a

wheelchair-accessible entry and bathroom makes your office easy to

visit for people with disabilities.

Earn and take advantage of tax incentives.

Hiring the right person for the job should not be made harder by

letting unspoken perceptions and lack of knowledge about correct

interviewing procedures keep employers from missing the opportunity

to tap into a talented group of workers.

As the two men in the ad repeatedly honk the car's horn and one after

another annoyed homeowner comes to the door, they find the house of

their deaf friends, the only ones who hadn't heard the horn. Honking

is not how everyone would have solved the problem, but it's a great

example of the value of diverse abilities.

Every company should value a diverse set of skills and perspectives

in its employees - to face a constantly changing world.