Overview
Employers need qualified, productive employees in order to thrive. OPWDD services can help by matching qualified job seekers with disabilities to open positions. OPWDD provides career building and on-the-job training for job seekers with developmental disabilities to be successful in the job market. We also fund our service providers across the state who act as local employment service organizations to prepare people with developmental disabilities for employment, match people to jobs and help them succeed once they are employed. Finally, we have information and resources to help your business hire, retain and promote people with disabilities.
You can promote employment for people with disabilities by:
- Hiring people through OPWDD’s local service providers who act as employment service organizations
- Offering tours of your business to local employment service organizations so they can become familiar with your business and your business’s needs
- Providing short-term training opportunities
- Mentoring job seekers. (Find a job seeker and learn how to mentor by emailing [email protected])
- Participating in job fairs
- Providing mock interviews at your business
- Reviewing occupational training curricula
- Taking the EmployAbility pledge and joining the “honor roll” of businesses that promote hiring employees with disabilities
Contact [email protected] to connect to local employment service organizations that will meet with your business to learn about your hiring needs.
Benefits of Hiring People with Disabilities
Hiring a qualified person with a disability brings benefits beyond filling an open job – it makes sense for business!
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment, companies identified as leaders in disability inclusion had, on average: 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income, and 2 times more economic profit than their counterparts.
Hiring people with disabilities can:
- Demonstrate your commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Help you find a long-term employee
- Improve the overall performance of your team
- Qualify You for On-the-Job Training for your employees
- Be a great way to gain access to a pre-screened candidates
- Be personally and professionally rewarding
- Offer your company a competitive edge by improving the accessibility of your workplace and work processes to support greater inclusion.
Financial Incentives and Tax Credits for Businesses that Employ People with Disabilities
Employers that do business in New York State and hire people who have a disability can trim their labor costs through several workforce and economic development programs. Employment-based tax credits may save your business money by cutting federal or state tax liability. Be sure to visit the US Department of Labor webpage for the most up-to-date information about each tax credit and benefit program.
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit
- Disabled Access Credit
- Barrier Removal Tax Deduction
- Hire-A-Vet Tax Credit
- New York Youth Jobs Program Tax Credit
- Work for Success Program
- Recovery Tax Credit Program
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is the primary federal tax credit that benefits employers who hire workers with disabilities. Firms that hire workers who have received Social Security Income (SSI) benefits within 60 days prior to being hired, or who are referred to the firm by a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the WOTC reimburses employers a percentage of a worker’s wages for up to two years. The maximum amount of reimbursement varies based on the background of the person hired. For workers hired under this program, firms are eligible for a 25 percent reimbursement of first-year wages once the employee has worked 120 hours; workers who work 400 hours result in a 40 percent reimbursement. The maximum reimbursement possible per worker in this category is $2,400.
NYS Workers Employment Tax Credit (WETC)
Businesses that employ people with disabilities who currently receive vocational rehabilitation services (or people who received them up to two years prior to hire) may earn $2,100 more in State tax credits. You get the credit during the second year of employment and can combine it with the WOTC credit.
Businesses with fewer than 30 employees and no more than $1 million in gross receipts in the preceding year can receive a tax credit of up to 50% of “eligible access expenditures.” Eligible expenses include the removal of barriers —architectural, communication or transportation— including modification of equipment and the use of interpreters, taped text or alternative formats for communication. A small business is eligible for a 50 percent tax credit on expenditures between $250 and $10,250, with a maximum credit of $5,000 per year. Visit the IRS website for more information about business tax credits, including the disabled access tax credit.
Businesses of any size can take an annual deduction of up to $15,000 for expenses related to removing physical, structural and transportation barriers for people with disabilities.
The Adult Career Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) Business Relations Team in your area will facilitate the completion of all tax credit request forms. Additional information is available at the IRS website or at the ACCES-VR website.
Employment Training Program (ETP)
OPWDD offers initial wages to train employees with disabilities who may need additional experience and training before they can excel in a position identified within your business. ETP interns are assessed for their interest, abilities and skills, and then matched with a business that has similar employment needs. OPWDD pays the intern directly for the initial 3-6 months. If, after this time, the person demonstrates they can perform to the business’s satisfaction and meet their requirements, then the business begins to pay the employee’s wages directly Businesses are eligible for all applicable tax credits once the intern is hired directly by the business.
ACCES-VR and NYS Commission for the Blind Financial Incentives for Businesses
OPWDD partners with New York’s Adult Career Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) to coordinate possible financial and resource benefits to businesses. Examples of incentives include:
- Work Try-Out (WTO) - The ACCES-VR WTO reimbursement is calculated on an hourly basis with a maximum of 480 hours reimbursed at 100% gross wage.
- On-the-Job Training (OJT) - ACCES-VR and the New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB) can reimburse a business for the wages paid during the training of a new employee. The ACCES-VR counselor and the employer will agree upon the length of the training period appropriate to the job. Upon the final retention of the trainee, the business will be eligible for all applicable tax credits.
How to Connect to Job Seekers
People with developmental disabilities are working! In New York State, approximately 8,000 people with developmental disabilities are working in businesses like yours. Employment success is the result of matching a person’s skills and abilities to specific jobs. In New York, people with developmental disabilities are working in various fields and positions. See examples below.
- Production worker
- Floral assistant
- Receptionist
- Electronics assembler
- Childcare assistant
- Farm worker
- Construction
- Custodial & Janitorial
- Hospitality
- Food service
- Retail
- Personal care aide
- Lawn care
- Graphic arts
- Senior care
- Data entry
OPWDD funds employment service organizations throughout New York State that work with businesses to match people to jobs within your business. Employment service organizations provide vocational assessment, on-the-job training career advancement supports and consultation to businesses as needed for employees with disabilities to be successful. Employment service organizations also work with employers to offer career development activities, mock job interviews, tours, job shadowing and more.
Once you hire a job seeker, employment service organizations provide an Employment Support Professional to assist you with individualized job training and coaching to help the person meet your business expectations. Once the new employee is competent at their job, Employment Support Processionals maintain ongoing contact with your business and the employee should the need arise for additional training or other supports to help the person continue to be a productive employee.
To be connected with a local employment service organization, contact:
NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, NY 12229
[email protected]
Resources to Hire, Train and Retain Employees
Below you will find resources to help your business hire, train and retain employees who have disabilities.
What is a developmental disability?
Developmental Disabilities are characterized by challenges to a person's ability to learn and/or their physical abilities and begin before the age of 18. Examples of developmental disabilities include cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism.
There can be a great deal of sensitivity around terminology when referring to developmental disabilities in job descriptions and employment documentation. Self-advocates within the disability community, as well as the federal government, tend to use “intellectual disability” and “developmental disability” rather than “special needs,” a frequently used term that some find demeaning.
Important Considerations for Employers
- Disabilities are not always apparent - Learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, autism, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis are just a few of the many disabilities that are often hidden. Never presume that someone doesn’t have a disability just because you can’t see it.
- Disability is a natural part of the human condition - It is important to acknowledge that a person’s disability is only one part of their identity. It is not something to be fixed or looked down upon. People with disabilities have the same rights as people without disabilities to fully participate in society. Remember, at any given moment, you may fall into the category of a “person with a disability.”
- Definitions vary considerably - The Americans with Disabilities Act and State vocational rehabilitation agencies often have varying definitions of disability. Each entity specifies the criteria that a person must meet in order to have a particular disability. For example, not all people who wear glasses have a visual impairment.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
In 1990, the US Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the general public. Its purpose is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life, the first of which relates to Employment. Title I provides people with disabilities access to the same employment opportunities and benefits that are available to people without disabilities. It defines disability and establishes guidelines for the provision of reasonable accommodations.
People with disabilities can be a significant asset to your business. Below are tips and additional resources for making your workforce more inclusive by hiring, retaining and advancing employees with disabilities.
Recruiting and Hiring
Make your recruitment and hiring process accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities by creating an inclusive workplace.
Consider how well the following practices in your organization currently include and welcome people with disabilities?
- Job ads (content, format and placements)
- Interview questions and locations
- Wages and promotions
- Hiring decisions (skills, experience, aptitude, etc.)
- Job descriptions (skills, tasks, qualifications – Can they be more flexible to attract a broader range of applicants?)
- Benefits
When, why and how employees disclose their disability
When - There is no one “right” time or place to disclose disability. Disclosure may occur at any stage prior to and after a person has been hired. Employees do not have to disclose a disability if they do not choose.
Why - An applicant or employee only needs to disclose their disability if they are seeking an accommodation to perform their duties, or to explain unusual circumstances.
How - An accommodation request is typically a conversation; however, it may be made in writing. If a job coach is involved, they need to be informed of the accommodation request too.
Resources for Accessible Recruitment and Hiring
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website provides information about federal laws related to employment discrimination and helpful tips for employers.
U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division offers an ADA website that includes guidance about making your website accessible to people with disabilities.
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)
EARN offers resources to help employers attract, hire and retain talent and offers tips on interviewing people with disabilities.
US Small Business Administration
Learn why the US Small Business Administration says hiring employees with disabilities can be a smart move for business.
Employee Orientation and Training
Quality employee training and orientation principles apply to everyone. Review your new employee orientation and training process to make sure your processes are accessible and take into consideration individual employee needs.
Review your training and orientation process and discuss with managers how you can maximize your new employee orientation and training for the best outcomes. When planning new employee orientation and training, think comprehensively. These topics are all part of helpful orientation and training:
- Understanding the work culture
- Understanding the company’s goals
- Understanding policies and procedures and specific unit agreements
- Navigating the supervision structure
- Learning specific job tasks
- Understanding productivity requirements
- Learning unexpected or periodic tasks
- Handling workplace malfunctions or disrupters
- Participating in company routines
- Sharing resources to get more information
To provide individualized instruction to new employees:
- Be specific and clear with instruction.
- Check for understanding – ask the employee to demonstrate the skill.
- Ask if the new employee learns best through written or visual materials. This will help you to determine if reviewing an instructional manual or assigning a mentor to shadow the new employee works best.
- Determine if the employee needs physical or technological accommodations. Accommodations are not just for people with disabilities. Examples include:
- A new mother may need time off for baby wellness checks.
- An older employee may use a cart to carry heavy objects.
- A person can provide quality customer service and complete business transactions with an enlarged screen or keyboard.
- An employee can assemble a product accurately with a sample picture of the finished product.
- A new employee may learn work tasks competently but needs a little more time.
- An employee learns how to use new equipment with additional instruction from an employment support professional help at no cost to the business.
Workplace Accommodations
Simple accommodations can help employees be successful. For example, employers who provided information to the Job Accommodation Network, reported the following results:
- 49.4% said the accommodation they made cost nothing; and
- 43.3% said the accommodation incurred a onetime cost, with the median cost being $300
- 68.4% said the accommodation was either very effective or extremely effective.
Reasonable accommodations can include:
- Modifying job tasks
- Providing accessible parking
- Improving accessibility in a work area
- Changing the presentation of tests and training materials
- Providing or adjusting equipment or software
- Allowing an adjusted work schedule
- Connecting with an employment service provider for job coaching
- Reassigning to a vacant position
The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to support the mission of the ADA to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”
Learn more about disability accommodations in the workplace from the ADA National Network, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
Advancing and Promoting
People with disabilities have the right to advance in their work responsibilities. Here are some ways your organization can make that possible.
Be an advocate
- Discuss job opportunities for growth with the employee.
Provide training opportunities
- Make sure the employee can access the resources available to learn new skills and meet the criteria for new jobs.
- Work collaboratively with the employment support professional who can also help the person to learn new skills.
Network within the company
- Make sure the employee can participate in events and initiatives within the company that give the person exposure to new job opportunities and connections with other employees and managers.
Promote decision-making and input into the workplace goals
- Ask the employee for suggestions for improving the work. They may have a different perspective than others based on their lived experiences.
Promote disability awareness
- Incorporate disability training into onboarding.
- Model appropriate behavior.
- Sponsor events to raise awareness.
- Make sure internal and external materials are accessible.
Develop a career plan
- Complete regular job evaluations as you do with all employees.
- Develop a plan for the employee to advance at the company. Not everyone will want to advance but you do not know until you ask.
Reach outside of your business
- Participate in annual disability mentoring days. Learn about Disability Mentoring Day
- Offer career guidance and job shadowing opportunities to students and job seekers with disabilities.
Employing Ability Success Stories
Many employers throughout New York State have already discovered that hiring people with developmental disabilities makes good sense. Read their stories on our Employing Abilities page.
Take the Pledge
Take the EmployAbility Pledge and let everyone know you believe in the value of a diverse workforce and the contributions of employees with disabilities. By signing the pledge, you demonstrate that your business or organization is committed to the spirit of inclusivity. That can mean employing qualified people with disabilities. It also means providing people with and without disabilities full opportunities to be your patrons and customers.
All of us can help promote a diverse and inclusive workforce by patronizing the businesses that hire people with disabilities. See the name of your business or organization on our EmployAbility Honor Roll.