Common myths and facts

1. Myth: Hiring people with a disability adversely affects a businesses' bottom line.

Fact:Workers with disabilities are highly productive employees - rated consistently as average or above average in performance and quality and quantity of work (Chamber of Commerce & Industry QLD).

Fact:in hiring an employee with a disability, organisations will be able to access a range of Government incentives including wage subsidies and work place modifications.

Fact:Employees with a disability are more likely to remain with a company for longer reducing the costs of staff turnover (Workers with Disabilities, 1999).

2. Myth: Employees with disabilities are more likely to have accidents on the job and lodge an accident claim than employees without disabilities.

Fact:A National study of Australian employers has found that employees with a disability are less likely to have an OHS incident and that workers compensation costs are significantly less than employees without a disability (Are People with Disability at Risk at work, Australian Safety and Compensation Council, 2007).

Fact:There is no evidence that people with a disability are more accident-prone. In fact, research has shown that 98% of employees with a disability have a better or similar accident record compared to their co-workers without a disability. Only 2% have worse records (Disability Employment Resource Kit, DASU Victoria, 1998).

3. Myth: People with disabilities are unable to perform to the same standards expected of employees without a disability, making them an employment liability

Fact:A 35 year research project, completed by leading scientific company DuPont, concluded that the performance of individuals with disabilities is equal to or exceeds those of their non-disabled co-workers.

4. Myth: Employees with disabilities have higher levels of absenteeism then those without disabilities

Fact:Studies have consistently shown that employees with disabilities have the same or lower levels of absenteeism then employees without a disability