Affiliations: Institute of Disability Studies, Deakin University,
Burwood, Vic, Australia | School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic,
Australia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Associate Professor Joe Graffam,
Institute of Disability Studies, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood
Hwy, Burwood, 3125 Victoria, Australia. Tel,: +1 61 3 9244 6377; Fax: +6 1 3
9244 6594; E-mail: jgraffam@deakin.edu.au
Abstract: This paper derives from a national study of employer outcomes when
employing a person with a disability. Questionnaires were completed by 643
Australian employers who had employed a person with a disability. Individual
performance was considered by comparison of the employee with a disability and
the "average" employee. The "average" employee was rated significantly
better on productivity variables, and employees with a disability were rated
somewhat, but not significantly, better on reliability variables and employee
maintenance variables. Organization performance was considered in terms of
benefits and costs of workplace modifications and changes to staff training and
supervision. In each domain, employers identified more organization benefits
than costs, a large majority considering the financial effect of modifications
and changes cost-neutral, with financial benefit more common than net cost.
Employers reported short-term, but no long-term or broader benefits from
employer subsidies and/or incentives. The need to take a broad, "big picture"
view to understand cost effectiveness is discussed.
Keywords: cost benefit analysis, disability, employing a person with a disability
