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Network links doctors, disabled job-seekers

The Labor Dept. is offering free help for practices interested in hiring workers with disabilities.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, amednews staff. Jan. 6, 2003.

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Washington -- Medical offices and hospitals facing staffing shortages should consider a relatively untapped labor pool -- people with disabilities, says the Dept. of Labor.

The Labor Dept. recently launched the Employee Referral Assistance Network, a free service that can help doctors find skilled and unskilled workers, said Lisa Lahrman, director of program management.

"It links them with people with disabilities who are ready to go to work, who are qualified for the position that they are posting, and who are in their own locality," she said.

EARN's operators try very hard to locate at least three candidates within 48 hours of starting a search.

"They're a wonderful resource on quite a variety of different issues regarding employment of people with disabilities," Lahrman said. They also can answer physicians' questions regarding special considerations when hiring people with disabilities, including concerns about compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"There are a couple of basic premises when you are trying to hire someone with a disability, which in some respects are the same premises you would use in hiring anybody," said David Hoff, a project director for the National Center on Workforce and Disability. "Does the person have the skills to do the job and is the person a good match for the social culture of the work place?"

For some people, their disability is not an impediment, and for others, their disability makes a major impact on their lives. Taking these factors into account is critical when finding an appropriate job match, Hoff said.

Lahrman agreed. "You hire a person for their abilities, and it's their abilities and their job-readiness to perform the tasks that are vital to whatever position that is really critical in being able to judge how productive they are," she said.

Pediatrician Greg Schlosser, MD, can attest to that. "A lot of people don't even notice I am in a wheelchair," said Dr. Schlosser, who lost use of his legs in an accident 20 years ago. He recovered at St. Cloud Memorial Hospital, Minn., where he is now director of inpatient rehabilitation.

While the disability has never stood in his way, it has given him an immediate credibility with many of his patients, he said. "Patients trust what I tell them."

While matching job skills is always important, many community service agencies that provide support to disabled people make an extra effort to ensure that their clients will succeed in the work environment.

"A lot of these agencies can work hand in hand with a doctor's office, doing an analysis of the job situation and matching it up with individuals they represent and also assisting if that person needs some kind of accommodation on the job," Hoff said.

Myth busting

Research has shown that most accommodations for people with disabilities cost less than $500. And many people need little or no accommodation at all, Hoff said.

There is still a stigma against hiring people with mental illness because of a misguided assumption that they have substandard intelligence or are prone to violence, he said.

"There's lots of folks with mental illness who bring lots of skills and lots of education to the table," Hoff said. But people with mental illness tend to have unique support needs, making the effort to match them to the job all that much more critical.

People with disabilities, especially those who need reliable medical care, may fear losing their public health benefits if they enter the work force. But the federal government has made great strides to ensure that this does not happen, Hoff said.

Hiring someone with a disability has added benefits, the Labor Dept said. Likely in part because of the difficulty people with disabilities face in finding employment, those who become comfortable in an office tend to show amazing loyalty to the job.

Service providers who help people with disabilities more easily integrate into society also can be considered an asset for doctors' offices. Good service providers will offer on-site and off-site assistance during the new employee's transition into the office, Hoff said.

There are also tax credits available to doctors who employ people with disabilities. This may help offset any cost of accommodations.

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