The True Cost of Accommodation

Still think providing accommodations for workers with disabilities will break the bank?

Statistics from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a free service from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy that provides individualized accommodation solutions, show this simply isn’t the case.

JAN finds accommodations for workers with disabilities typically cost less than $500 US – and nearly 25 percent cost nothing at all. What’s more, according to Standard Insurance, the average cost of accommodating a seriously disabled employee is around $1,000 US – or, on average, about one-half a month of disability payments.

Perhaps not surprising, these nominal costs, as well as a desire to comply with the law and treat workers well, are resulting in high levels of accommodation for people with disabilities. A recent survey of 243 large and mid-size employers, conducted by the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), finds that 95 percent of worker accommodation requests are approved by management.

How does this compare to practices at your organization?