Can you help me respond to this in a couple paragraphs. The question was... According to the 2004 National Organization on Disability/Harris survey, described in the case study: In the Eye of the Perfect Storm: Creating Accessibility – IBM, GM, and Cisco, people with disabilities are at a ‘critical disadvantage’ compared to people without disabilities. Considering the ADA legislation of 1990 intended to improve the lives of those with disabilities: why do you think people with disabilities are still at such a disadvantage? I would like to respond to a classmates posting which is posted below.... comments and thoughts on the posting? Forty-nine million people, or 20% of the population are Americans with disabilities and in the lifetime of the average person lies an 80% chance that those people will experience some kind of disability in the course of his or her lifetime. Canas & Sondak (2014, pg. 262) The statistics are revealing and troubling because at any time someone, anyone, could become disabled. According to the 2004 National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey, 35% of disabled people are employed full or part time; they are three times as likely to live in poverty, twice as likely to drop out of high school, twice as likely to have inadequate transportation and a much higher percentage will go without needed health care; they are less likely to socialize, eat out, or attend religious services; only 34% comment that they are very satisfied with life; they're much more worried about their future and well-being and half are worried about not being able to care for themselves or fear putting the burden of care on another person. (pg. 262) Six elements are the critical disadvantage focal points for the disabled population: employment, transportation, health insurance, concerns about the future, general life satisfaction, and emergency planning. (pg.263) Social structure, culture assumptions about hiring disabled people, and the disincentives for the employee and employer create what this case calls 'a triple threat' of interconnected systems of discrimination creating the perfect storm. (pg.263) It's disheartening to know that disabled people have a difficult time in this country thriving in the workplace. In further research about the disadvantages of disabilities in the workplace, I came across an article that nicely summed up today's troubles with the disabled community and the workplace. Our current workplace issues are discrimination, accessibility, accommodation, and education according to Schreiner (2013): DISCRIMINATION Schreiner comments on the four areas of struggle commenting that, "Nondisabled co-workers or even superiors might discriminate against disabled workers as a response to their fear of the unknown. This presents a disadvantage for the disabled worker himself, as he must work in a space sullied by discrimination. It also presents a challenge for the rest of the workforce, who might have to act as an intermediary between the disabled worker and those discriminating against him or, at the least, have workplace harmony disrupted by discrimination." Schreiner (2013) ACCESSIBILITY "While legislation has made most buildings accessible to individuals with physical handicaps, disabilities may still limit the job duties these workers can perform. This creates a disadvantage for these workers, because they may not be as desirable to employers. Accessibility can also present challenges for employers, who may have to modify workspaces at their own cost to accommodate mobility impairments." Schreiner (2013) ACCOMMODATION "Depending upon the nature of the disability, many disabled workers can perform nearly or at the same level as nondisabled peers if given appropriate accommodations. This could include hearing amplification devices for a profoundly hard-of-hearing employee or Braille materials for a visually impaired worker." Schreiner (2013) This point is extremely important to discuss. Accommodations in the workplace can be cheap, easy, and very reasonable for employers should they research what accommodations entail. The government has a hand in the legislation and should be supplying employers with reasonable accommodation grants or something to assist in the direction needed to employ disabled people who need them. EDUCATION Individuals limited in their educational opportunities may find this a continued problem, as many workplaces are unwilling to hire those who don't meet set education credentials. These organizations might overlook an otherwise capable worker unable to acquire the necessary schooling." Schreiner (2013) When I read these disadvantages, I read FEAR and lack of research and education. These four areas of concern in the workplace as we see are areas that need more attention, discussion, and action to benefit the disabled community in the workplace. One area I'd like to discuss in different context is the area of education. The cultural assumptions discussed on pages 264-266 in my opinion are the result of a society that is in dire need of learning more about disabilities and people with disabilities. Stereotypes undoubtedly reflect the distorted reality that disempowers disabled people every day. These assumptions unfortunately travel into the workplace that is notably this place of producing quality results in a fast efficient manner, and for some reason employers are turned off to the idea of hiring disabled people out of concern that "they" will hurt business. The assumptions of disabled people being unreliable, costly, and a liability is unfortunate. Assumption #3 may hold the most merit when it comes to employers avoiding hiring disabled people because of the fact that 'the original goal of the ADA was to help introduce qualified people with disabilities into the workplace, and it is so complex and ambiguous that it creates uncertainty among employers about how to comply with a law that continually changes interpretation and enforcement.' Canas & Sondak (2014, pg. 266) Some organizations become fearful about the areas of business they're not sure of or are uneducated about. We've seen it before though, the industrial giants who are not afraid of change will embrace any opportunity they can to make business more diverse and more marketable. IBM, GM, and Cisco Systems are prime examples of organizations who can place value on hiring people with disabilities. They turn a societally perceived negative into a marketable, competitive positive in business that in turn benefits themselves and the individual who is disabled. IBM's model of accessibility is designed to include a 'better user experience' and 'ultimately improve a person's total quality of life' and label the vision a global journey to gain business advantage. Canas & Sondak (2014, pg. 268) GM's philosophy commits to global operations hiring people that reflect the marketplace to effectively reach customers in providing products and services they want. (pg. 269) While some may see this as a way to increase profits, it's a smart business decision to encourage the hiring of diverse qualified candidates when the organization values that vision for staffing. Cisco created a Cisco Diversity Awareness Network that sponsors workshops on how employees can help each other feel more included. (pg.270) In sum, inclusive environments and leadership teams who create visions that result in real growth opportunities for groups like the disabled are those organizations that are making impactful connections and important social contributions in their communities; they're growing and expanding their branding and marketing strategies, attracting and retaining the best, diverse, most qualified candidates of all groups, and they're not afraid to do so. FEAR in my opinion is the main reason why disabled people are at such a disadvantage in the workplace. Either employers are afraid of being sued, they're afraid of business slowing down, or they're uneducated about the disabled community resulting in fear. Although the ADA is a bear to understand and interpret, it's important that strategic HR groups educate themselves and their workforces about the law and its meaning. To treat your people well means to respect and advocate for their rights in the workplace. The ADA is the first major legislation along with the IDEA and it will take organizations like IBM, Cisco, and GM to continue paving the way for the disabled workers of America so that other competitors can follow suit.