Section V. Tallying Business Benefits
Explore the business benefits of investing in accommodation and accessibility in the workplace in this section of the Workplace Accommodation and Accessibility Policy Toolkit.
When employers implement programs to recruit, hire, retain, and promote disabled employees, they soon realize additional benefits beyond hiring a qualified employee. Benefits range from higher revenue to increased overall company morale. With minimal investment, employers can promote disability inclusion through policies and practices and begin reaping the benefits.
Policy Assessment
1. What are the benefits of integrating disability into inclusion policies and practices?
Organizations that intentionally foster a culture of inclusion create a more positive and supportive work environment. These qualities contribute to higher retention rates, less turnover, and greater productivity. With 11% of U.S. working-age adults (18–64) having a disability, direct investment in inclusion is a high priority for employers to fill job openings.
The 2018 report “Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage” (PDF), published by Accenture in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), found that companies that excelled in disability inclusion experienced, on average, 28% higher revenue and 30% better performance on economic profit margins than other companies. Inclusive companies were also, on average, two times more likely to outperform their peers in terms of total shareholder returns. Additional research supports that these companies are better positioned to capture new markets by as much as 70%.
In a follow-up to the 2018 Accenture report, the 2023 report “The Disability Inclusion Imperative” (PDF) drove home the importance of disability inclusion. Companies identified as leaders in disability inclusion had, on average, 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income, and twice as much economic profit than their counterparts. They were also 25% more likely to outperform on productivity than their industry peers. A member survey from the human resources (HR) professional association Society for Human Resource Management supports this result, with 97% of HR professionals saying employees with disabilities regularly perform the same or better than their peers without disabilities.
2. What are the benefits of frictionless accommodation policies and practices?
Reasonable accommodations are typically low cost and high impact. In a survey by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), employers report that the benefits of providing accommodations far outweigh their associated costs. Most employers (56%) report incurring little to no cost to accommodate employees with disabilities and paying no more than $300 for most accommodations that carried a one-time cost. The JAN survey also asked employers about direct and indirect benefits due to having made an accommodation. Below are the percentages of employers who reported experiencing various benefits.
Direct Benefits
- Retained a valued employee: 85%
- Increased the employee’s productivity: 53%
- Increased the employee’s attendance: 48%
- Eliminated costs associated with training a new employee: 47%
- Increased diversity of the company: 33%
- Reduced workers’ compensation or other insurance costs: 23%
- Hired a qualified person with a disability: 18%
- Promoted an employee: 7%
Indirect Benefits
- Improved interactions with coworkers: 35%
- Increased safety: 29%
- Increased overall company morale: 29%
- Improved interactions with customers: 22%
- Increased overall company productivity: 20%
- Increased overall company attendance: 18%
3. What are the benefits of policies and practices that reinforce physical and digital accessibility?
When physical and digital accessibility principles are integrated into the design of products, devices, services, activities, and facilities, people with and without disabilities benefit, and in the workplace context, so do their employers. Benefits to employees include increased job satisfaction and reduced fear of injury. Benefits to employers further include access to a broader talent pool, lower workers’ compensation costs, and improved compliance rates. Overall, employees feel valued and welcomed when they can access all that is offered in a space, and this improves overall productivity and retention rates, giving organizations a competitive advantage.
Typical considerations for workplace physical accessibility include, but are not limited to, parking, entrances and exits, and interior areas (offices, restrooms, meeting and common areas, and elevators). In certain situations, tax incentives can remediate these types of physical barriers.
Many employees also rely on digital accessibility to participate in virtual spaces and engage in everyday tasks. With the explosion of hybrid and remote work, digital accessibility is critical for high-performing businesses. The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology highlights the following benefits:
- Improved and expanded recruitment
- Increased retention
- Employee success
- Cost-effectiveness
- Corporate image
- Reduced legal costs
The World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) also highlights the benefits of digital accessibility. WAI develops standards and support materials to help implement digital accessibility initiatives. The organization completed several case studies highlighting the benefits of digital accessibility, which included driving innovation, enhancing a brand, extending market reach, and minimizing legal risk.