Question: What
are developmental disabilities?
Answer: Developmental disabilities are caused
by chronic mental and/or physical impairments beginning early in
life or at birth. Many people with developmental disabilities want
and are
able to work for you.
Question: What kinds of work can people
with developmental disabilities do?
Answer: People with developmental disabilities
have a range of abilities and are highly productive in many types
of jobs. Depending on the person's training and/or educational background,
persons with developmental disabilities can be successful in entry
and professional level positions.
Question: Will people with developmental
disabilities be as productive on the job as my other employees?
Answer: With proper training and placement,
employees with disabilities perform well. Some employees may at first
be less productive than your other employees, but during the on-the-job
training period, an employment specialist can assist the employee
to meet the required level of productivity. The presence of an employment
specialist at no cost to you, coupled with proper matching of the
person
with the job, results in employees who can adjust to new tasks.
Question: Will I have to change the daily
routine or work environment if I hire a person with a developmental
disability?
Answer: Reasonable accommodation, such as
reassigning duties, adjusting certain tasks, modifying work schedules,
or adapting equipment, have to be made for some employees. In most
cases, accommodations are seldom prohibitively expensive, usually under
$500. In many cases, the state Vocational Rehabilitation Agency will
assist you in obtaining equipment and assistive devices.
Question: If I hire someone with a developmental
disability, how will co-workers react?
Answer: While at first some people may be
uncomfortable, continued contact quickly eliminates such feelings.
Most non-disabled co-workers respond well to their new colleagues,
as do customers and clientele.
Question: Will my worker's compensation
and other insurance costs increase if I hire a person with a developmental
disability?
Answer: No. The law forbids insurance carriers
to consider individual employees when computing workers' compensation
rates or other insurance premiums.
