2006 BDI/ICR Survey
A study from the Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI) reveals that Atlanta business leaders, in line with national trends, often mistakenly believe people with disabilities are not qualified to work. BDI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and disadvantages to maximize their potential by securing economic self-sufficiency, independence and integration into society, is working to displace myths surrounding hiring and employing individuals with disabilities and offering educational resources to Atlanta companies.According to BDI’s recent survey of human resource managers in the Atlanta area, nearly 90 percent of small companies and close to 75 percent of large companies do not employ any workers with developmental disabilities, while nearly one-third of large companies and almost 60 percent of small companies do not employ any workers with physical disabilities.
KEY FINDINGS: Top Perceived Barriers to Hiring People with Disabilities According to respondents, the following barriers top the list of reasons why employers are reluctant to hire individuals with disabilities.
- Respondents believe that disabled persons cannot adequately perform required work duties (37% first mentions, 49% total mentions).
- Individuals surveyed cite lack of knowledge about the disabled as the primary deterrent to hiring and employment (14% first mentions, 25% total mentions).
- Respondents refer to concerns over cost for workplace adjustments and accommodations (13% first mentions, 20% total mentions) and lack of understanding about accommodations (7% first mentions, 15% total mentions) when explaining the lack of employment among individuals with disabilities.
More than 70 percent of surveyed companies report not having specific recruiting or hiring practices in place for the disabled population with larger companies significantly more likely to employ these practices. Companies that have specific hiring practices or provide managerial diversity training are significantly more likely to employ people with disabilities. However, the companies that do hire people with disabilities are more likely to hire a person with a physical disability rather than a developmental disability.
About the Research Study
Two hundred human resource decision makers from companies in the Atlanta area involved in fields including retail, manufacturing, government, education, medical and legal services, completed detailed interviews concerning the issue of employing workers with disabilities. Survey respondents were asked for their feedback on issues including special hiring/training practices, perceived unemployment rate, employer barriers and costs associated with making workplace accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
For a look at the full research findings, click here.
