| According to the U.S. Census Department, | | | | owners who are unfamiliar with the tenets of the |
| approximately fifty-four million Americans are | | | | ADA believe that compliance means budget-busting |
| disabled, or have considered themselves disabled at | | | | expenses to benefit a small group who will not |
| one time or another. While this number represents a | | | | elevate their bottom line in any significant way. They |
| large percentage of the workforce, the vast | | | | seem to prefer to do nothing and wait until they |
| majority of individuals with disabilities are unemployed. | | | | receive a complaint, threat of litigation, or worse . . . |
| In fact, about seventy percent of Americans with | | | | have a sheaf of legal documents served to |
| disabilities who want to work are unemployed. Of the | | | | them.Why should a small business make changes? It |
| remaining thirty percent, only a fraction is gainfully | | | | is a mistake to believe that all people with disabilities |
| employed full-time.As a result, people with disabilities | | | | are poor, and therefore cannot afford your products |
| are almost twice as likely to start their own | | | | or services. It is a myth that people with disabilities |
| businesses as their non-disabled counterparts.Only | | | | have no disposable income and no desire to spend it. |
| eight percent of non-disabled workers are | | | | If an individual who does not drive because they are |
| self-employed, whereas fourteen percent of workers | | | | blind, or who uses a wheelchair arrives at your place |
| with disabilities are self-employed.As an entrepreneur | | | | of business, you can be assured they are a qualified |
| with a disability, I fall into the latter group. Unable to | | | | customer. Chances are, that individual went to great |
| find gainful employment in my community, I sought | | | | effort just to get to your establishment, so ensure |
| to create my own place. The turning point came | | | | that they do not leave your business empty |
| when two years of aggressive work search that | | | | handed.In the workplace, accommodating the |
| yielded nothing finally led me to consider a | | | | particular needs of an employee with a disability need |
| receptionist's position. Despite my college education, | | | | not be expensive. The ADA sets forth that |
| my formidable oral and written communication skills, | | | | "reasonable accommodations" be made so as to |
| my business management experience and a private | | | | enable an individual to competently perform the |
| consulting endeavor, I felt as though answering the | | | | duties required. An employer is not expected to |
| phone for a living was the only option left. | | | | provide state-of-the-art equipment, nor is the |
| Unfortunately, even that door was closed to me. | | | | company required to fill a long wish list of gadgets |
| Unwilling to schedule an in-person interview until he | | | | and gizmos. In fact, there are numerous alternative |
| satisfied his curiosity, the potential employer grilled | | | | funding sources and service organizations for this |
| me via telephone first."So, how do you people do | | | | purpose.If a small business finds that accommodating |
| things? How can you answer phones? Our phones | | | | a disability poses an undue hardship, they are not |
| are complicated. They have buttons on them. How | | | | required to fulfill the legal obligation; however, a |
| could you transfer calls or place calls? How would you | | | | business owner or manager might be surprised to |
| know what the buttons were?"Astounded, I didn't | | | | learn just how easy it can be to meet a minimum. |
| bother to point out that I was speaking to him by | | | | Secondhand or donated equipment, whether current |
| phone right then, and that I placed the call all by | | | | or somewhat less so, is considered "reasonable." As |
| myself. Furthermore, with the latest technological | | | | long as the accommodations help the employee to |
| advances, such as Braille, invented in the 19th | | | | get the job done, that's all that is needed. Instead of |
| Century, it was very likely that despite a steep | | | | purchasing a custom-made, specialty ergonomic desk |
| learning curve requiring intense training, eventually I | | | | configuration to accommodate a wheelchair, raising |
| might make an adequate receptionist. Instead, I | | | | the existing desk on blocks may be sufficient.Taking |
| thanked him for his time, and left him to his | | | | the time to understand the truth about people who |
| ignorance.Attitudes such as his finally prompted me | | | | are potential customers as well as employees can |
| to start my own business, which is a small yet | | | | tremendously enhance your business, as well as your |
| satisfying sole proprietorship. In educating others as | | | | personal growth. Even if you have no opportunity to |
| to the myths and misconceptions about people with | | | | hire a candidate with a disability, make your business |
| disabilities and related workplace issues and hiring | | | | a disabled-friendly establishment. Keep in mind that |
| practices, I've discovered that many small business | | | | attitudinal barriers can be as seemingly insurmountable |
| owners still tend to believe the worst about the | | | | as the physical barriers. As a business owner, you are |
| Americans with Disabilities Act and how it can affect | | | | a leader in your community, and can set an example |
| their business.It is a myth that the Americans with | | | | that will benefit both your image and your bottom |
| Disabilities Act mandates costly construction and | | | | line.Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.Laura Gillson is a |
| architectural renovation. Rather, the ADA is a | | | | speaker, author and educator specializing in disability |
| guideline that among other things, attempts to | | | | awareness, advocacy, accessibility and assistive |
| provide for equal access to public buildings by | | | | technology. |
| removing barriers to that access.Small business | | | | |