Every day, people living with paralysis tackle challenges both big and small in pursuit of the lives they want.
They deal with detours on city sidewalks on their way to meet friends. They maneuver around muddy fields to watch a child’s soccer game. They graduate from colleges not always designed for wheelchair users. They learn to drive a truck using a joystick and play wheelchair basketball at the local recreation center.
They solve problems – and they adapt – with the kind of ingenuity and determination that would be an asset to any employer.
Data about employment and disability tells the story of a community whose skills and participation in the workforce remain untapped.
In 2024, roughly 37% of people living with a disability between the ages of 16 and 64 were employed, compared to 66% without disabilities. Overall, people with disabilities faced significantly higher unemployment rates and were nearly twice as likely to work part-time as those without disabilities.
At this moment, there are thousands of talented people with disabilities – including paralysis – who are eager to enter the workforce. A hiring opportunity exists for the employer savvy enough to recognize it – why shouldn’t it be you?
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The ADA is a groundbreaking federal law passed by Congress in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities, including employment. The goal of the ADA is to allow everyone an equal chance to achieve success – at work and throughout all aspects of life.
How does this law affect public and private employers?
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from rejecting qualified applicants simply because they have a disability and bans discriminatory practices in the workplace, too; reasonable accommodations must be made for both applicants and employees who need them.
How does the ADA affect my specific business and hiring practices?
The legal jargon behind any law can be intimidating, but the mission of the ADA National Network is to help people understand how the ADA works and support efforts to meet its requirements.
Information Specialists at ten regional centers across the country are available to answer questions from employers via a toll-free hotline; many queries can be resolved with a phone call, but the team will also research more complicated questions. Free seminars and workshops about the ADA are offered at these centers to provide clarity on specific aspects of the law for both employers and employees.
To find your regional center, visit the ADA National Network website.
Rethinking recruiting efforts can help large corporations and small businesses alike attract larger pools of skilled applicants. When advertising job opportunities, reach beyond LinkedIn to include job boards and employment programs dedicated to increasing employment among people with disabilities.
abilityJOBS, launched by Ability Magazine in 1995, connects applicants and employers through a resume bank, employment listings and virtual job fairs. AbilityLinks, a non-profit organization for veterans and people with disabilities, offers resume workshops, interview preparation, and networking events with potential employers. At Our Ability Jobs, a disability-owned business focused on employment opportunities, job seekers with disabilities create in-depth job profiles that are then matched to a company’s openings using advanced technology.
Interested employers can also tap the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP). Though primarily a free resource connecting federal agencies with recent graduates with disabilities, private sector employers can request access to WRP applicants by contacting the Employment Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) at [email protected].
Beyond digital recruiting, government and nonprofit organizations that provide services to people with disabilities can also be a critical resource for employers. Federally funded Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies provide career counseling and on-the-job training to people with disabilities in every state; rehabilitation counselors may be able to work with local employers to arrange short-term trials with potential employees to help determine if the match is a long-term fit. Centers for Independent Living, non-profit organizations across the country operated by people with disabilities, may also be able to direct employers toward new applicants. Disability and career counseling centers at local colleges and universities can offer another link to new talent. Let these organizations know when you’re hiring and what skills you’re looking for in candidates.
The Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University is dedicated to increasing workplace opportunities for people with disabilities. Staff members conduct research and consult with employers, policymakers and educators to identify best practices related to disability disclosure, reasonable accommodations and performance management; in addition, the Yang-Tan develops comprehensive resources and tools for the Department of Labor Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) to help businesses across the country more successfully recruit, hire and retain employees with disabilities. (For more information about EARN, see “Advice and Support: Where Employers Go for Help” below.)
Yang-Tan Academic Director and EARN Principal Investigator, Susanne Bruyère, recently spoke with the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) about how employers can boost successful hiring.
NPRC: Since the passage of the ADA, awareness of the challenges faced by job seekers with disabilities has grown. In terms of providing access and opportunity, what are some of the things employers should be thinking about now?
Bruyère: The focus in the very beginning was on physical access for wheelchair users. Then it broadened to IT and digital access. And now, with AI (Artificial Intelligence), there is concern about unnecessarily eliminating applicants from the pathway pool to application and a successful interview. Because AI screening tools might pick up on anomalies in resumes – like extended employment gaps which happen for people who have health conditions – that can automatically kick people out.
With a traumatic spinal cord injury, you had a history. You were in the workforce. You were successful. And then you’re out for likely many, many months in both acute care and then rehabilitation. But if these are automated systems, the assumption is that people who weren’t at work for extended periods might be poor performers. They say, ‘Why would somebody be out of work for six or 12 or 24 months and it not be a problem behavior or a poor performer?’ And so, people will just get screened out.
NPRC: What do you say to employers who are interested in expanding their talent pool to reach employees with disabilities but don’t know where to begin?
Bruyère: We say: ‘Do internships.’ Supervisors are often the hiring managers, and they’re often intimidated if they think there’s going to be any kind of accommodation. They don’t know what to do, so they avoid the possibility; it’s just an added consideration they don’t want to have to deal with. But internships are low-threat, low-risk and short-term.
It can be either young people just out of college, or it could be older people working with a community service provider that provides supports for people with spinal cord injury. It can be a six-week event. It can be paid, or maybe you’ve got federal or state funding to support that internship.
The employer provides education to the supervisor and says, “This is an initiative we want. You don’t have to hire them, but we want you to give this person good coaching and let them get to know our organization. Give them a chance. And you assess their skills.”
And that lessens the anxiety, because the supervisor understands they can do this. They can supervise somebody with a disability. They can give them honest feedback. And it softens the workplace as much as giving somebody something to put on their resume that shows they’re capable.
Start with two people and double it next year if it’s successful. You’ll be surprised by how your supervisors will begin to see this as something that they’re competent in doing and that proactively will support the organization.
If your company conducts interviews in the office (rather than over Zoom), assume that an applicant living with paralysis may one day arrive for an interview.
Are entry points equipped with ramps? Does the elevator work? Are hallways and paths between desks clear of obstacles? Can the conference room or office where the interview will take place accommodate a wheelchair?
Once the logistics are set and before the interview takes place, review the ADA for reminders. Hiring managers cannot ask applicants medical or disability-related questions during the recruiting and interview process. However, applicants with disabilities can be asked how they will perform specific job functions, pass a medical examination, or take an exam to demonstrate skills, so long as these steps are required of all applicants. And if a test or demonstration is required, applicants should always be told ahead of time in case they need to request an accommodation – such as using a modified keyboard during a written exam – if needed.
Following ADA guidelines is important, but the bottom line for any successful interview is to treat applicants with disabilities with the same respect as any other candidate. Be curious about their skills and talents, and the value they might add to your team.
The ADA mandates that reasonable accommodations be made in the workplace for people with disabilities. But uncertainty about its application can cause unease for some employers. What, exactly, is an accommodation? Why is it necessary? How much will it cost my company?
The best way to understand the importance of accommodations is to think of them as “productivity enhancers:” they simply allow already capable people to do their jobs successfully.
A security guard with muscular dystrophy who needs to frequently rise from his chair might request a lift cushion as an accommodation. An accountant with limited dexterity might request speech recognition software to tackle spreadsheets with her voice rather than her hands. A teacher with paraplegia might request a writing aid for grading homework.
As for costs, consider the data collected by the Job Accommodation Network between 2019 and 2023. Employers reported that nearly half of the accommodations they provided for workers with disabilities were made at no cost; the median cost for those that did require a one-time expense was $300.
Applicants with disabilities can seek accommodations in order to compete for a job; for example, a wheelchair user might request that a job interview take place on the ground floor of a building without an elevator. Once hired, employees may request accommodations by disclosing their disability to a supervisor or human relations department and describing how the accommodation will support a workplace challenge caused by the disability.
Both employees and employers play a role in the process. Employers are free to ask for more information about how the accommodation will allow the employee to perform work tasks. If the disability is not obvious, employers can request relevant medical records; they may not ask for health records unrelated to the disability.
Employees can request accommodations at the beginning of a new job and anytime thereafter; there is no time frame or deadline for requests. Needs may evolve as the work environment or job specifics change, or as a person with a disability ages. When different accommodations will meet an employee’s needs, the employer chooses which to provide.
Reasonable accommodation requests for people living with paralysis might include:
Not every accommodation request qualifies as reasonable. An employee with a spinal cord injury whose morning routine prevents them from starting work at 9 a.m. cannot demand a shorter day at the same wage; however, he or she can ask for a modification of overall hours to both begin and end work later in the day.
Employers are not required to make an accommodation if it imposes an “undue hardship” on the operation of the business, or lowers quality or production standards. An undue hardship is defined under the ADA as something that is too difficult or expensive to provide based on a company’s size, financial resources, and the needs of the business.
But employers can’t refuse to make an accommodation just because some cost is required. Anytime an accommodation is deemed an undue hardship, a good faith effort must be made to find another solution.
A note about insurance: The ADA does not require companies to cover pre-existing conditions, or all medical expenses related to a disability. The law mandates only that employees with disabilities receive equal access to the same insurance coverage offered to other employees.
The first stop for many businesses with questions about workplace accommodations is the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). Based at West Virginia University and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, JAN is a free, confidential and invaluable resource for both employees with disabilities and their employers. Staffers — including a dedicated team specializing in accommodations for paralysis – field thousands of questions each year by phone, email and live chat. Employers who call will receive practical guidance on specific accommodation solutions and strategies and help navigating the accommodations request process.
JAN’s clearly organized website includes an ADA library and a deep archive of posts and newsletters on topics ranging from sign language to service dogs to strokes. But the most helpful tool might be its comprehensive A-Z List of disabilities and accommodations. Whether searching for a specific limitation like fine motor control or workplace functions like parking and temperature, the database includes hundreds of potential challenges and suggested solutions.
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) is another excellent resource for employers. An initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy, EARN provides an array of research-supported tools on its website that are designed to increase recruiting, hiring and retention of employees with disabilities. Monthly newsletters, webinars and training materials include guidance about accommodations, how to develop mentoring and apprenticeship programs, and suggestions for low-to-no-cost accommodation ideas for small business owners.
When a person suddenly becomes paralyzed, whether by disease or traumatic injury, the impact may be felt widely among friends, family, and workplace colleagues.
Office morale and the financial health of a company can be negatively affected when a valuable employee is forced to leave due to illness or injury. For the employer, replacing the experience and expertise that has been lost requires an investment of time and money; supporting an injured employee who wants to return to work might not only be financially sound, but foster a sense of goodwill among staff concerned for a co-worker.
After a spinal cord injury occurs, supervisors or human resource managers can work with the employee or their family members to coordinate an initial leave of absence and, after rehabilitation goals are set, a timeline for potential return. (For participating employers, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows eligible employees to take 12-weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for specified medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance.) The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) can help employers identify accommodations for an employee’s return to their pre-injury job; in cases where the previous job is not compatible with the injury level, JAN can help employers with a restructuring plan that shifts the employee’s expertise to a new position within the company.
Federal tax credits that advance the goals of the ADA are available to businesses who hire and/or invest in workplace accessibility for people with disabilities. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit can be claimed by employers who hire applicants facing significant challenges in finding work, including people with paralysis who receive Supplemental Security Income or have been referred through Vocational Rehabilitation. The Disabled Access Credit provides a non-refundable credit for small businesses that invest in accessibility improvements for people with disabilities, while the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction is available to businesses of any size: examples of qualifying actions include widening doorways, installing ramps or modifying restrooms.
In addition to these federal programs, there are many state-based initiatives that offer tax credits for hiring, accessibility improvements, and investments in workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities. The Employer’s Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) maintains a current and comprehensive list of programs. To find options in your state, visit EARN’s website at https://askearn.org/page/employer-financial-incentives.
To ensure external recruiting efforts are successful, employers must also provide internal support to mid-level supervisors and managers responsible for hiring.
A company-wide announcement, whether from a small business owner or corporate executive, that prioritizes efforts to attract talented applicants with disabilities helps establish credibility for new initiatives. Leadership teams should work with hiring managers to determine outreach strategies, from launching a summer internship through a local university’s disability resource center to attending national disability hiring fairs; BenchmarkABILITY, a free online tool from EARN, can help employers assess their policies and practices. Programs and training offered through ADA National Network centers can increase understanding of the ADA, building confidence and buy-in among staff for expanded hiring.
Connecting with national organizations dedicated to increasing employment among people with disabilities can also help employers accelerate efforts to successfully recruit and retain new hires. Disability:IN consults with businesses to better recruit and retain employees with disabilities; members have access to a resource library and resume bank featuring students and experienced talent. The National Organization on Disability helps companies develop better hiring practices and conducts a wide-ranging annual engagement survey that lets employers know how their disability practices are impacting employees. Work Without Limits Business Network, an initiative of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, provides training and guidance to private and public sector businesses.
Finally, local non-profits working with people with disabilities can serve as a sounding board for employers as they pursue qualified employees. To find resources and organizations in your community, contact an Information Specialist at the National Paralysis Resource Center by calling 800-539-7309.
Sources: The Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy, Employment Assistance and Resource Network on Disability, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, ADA National Network, Yang-Tan Institute at Cornell University, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
AbilityJOBS: https://abilityjobs.com/
AbilityLinks: https://abilitylinks.org/
ADA National Network: https://adata.org/
ADA National Network Regional Centers: https://adata.org/find-your-region
Americans with Disabilities Act: https://www.ada.gov/
BenchmarkABILITY: https://www.benchmarkability.org/
Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy: Interviewing Fact Sheet:
Disability:IN: https://disabilityin.org/
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disabilities (EARN): www.askearn.org
Equal Opportunity Employment Commission: https://www.eeoc.gov/
Family and Medical Leave Act: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
Job Accommodation Network (JAN): https://askjan.org/
JAN Costs and Benefits of Accommodations: https://askjan.org/topics/costs.cfm
Our Ability Jobs: https://www.ourability.com/
National Organization on Disability: https://nod.org/
Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/hire-employees-disabilities
Workforce Recruitment Program: https://www.wrp.gov/wrp
Private sector businesses interested in using WRP can email EARN at [email protected].
Work Opportunity Tax Credit: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wotc
Work Without Limits Business Network: https://workwithoutlimits.org/
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states
The National Paralysis Resource Center website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $10,000,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
