There is clear evidence of the reluctance of some employers to hire people with disabilities. Our colleague, Catherine Connelly from McMaster, in collaboration with Sandra Fisher of Muenster University in Germany, conducted a study of one large employer in the hospitality industry to advance a business case for hiring people with disabilities. Using utility analysis, they showed that service costs to the employer (e.g., benefits, pensions, training, absence, turnover, lateness, accommodations) were offset by service value (performance and citizenship) when comparing disabled and non-disabled employees. Disabled employees showed above average performance and had lower overall turnover rates. Further, accommodation costs were much lower than anticipated.
For more information, please check out the following articles:
Fact Sheet and Infographic. (English and French). Canadian Disability Participation Project