Does ADA compliance strike fear in your heart? It shouldn’t. In fact, ADA compliance can be a business accelerator. Why? Because accessibility—digital, technical, and physical—benefits everyone: businesses, employees of all abilities, and customers. And, contrary to myth, most workplace accommodations cost little to nothing.
What’s more, employment partners that specialize in employment for people with disabilities can facilitate accommodation implementation at your business while providing access to a stellar workforce.
So, without further ado, here are eight reasons why ADA compliance is a business advantage:
Wider Access to Talent
Skilled employees come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and hues, and they also come equipped with a variety of abilities and disabilities. Given that over 10 percent of the working-age population has a disability, that’s a large—and largely untapped—potential workforce. And not just any workforce. In poll after poll, employers report that employees with disabilities are eager, skilled, and dedicated. ADA compliance could be the difference between an under-qualified applicant who can climb stairs and the expert who happens to use a wheelchair.
Better Employee Retention
Employee turnover continues to plague businesses, especially in the service industries. And, according to a 2024 report, U.S hiring managers expect it to increase. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found businesses that include and accommodate people with disabilities reported a 90 percent increase in employee retention. When this statistic is compared with the per-year cost of turnover—over $1 trillion, nationally—ADA compliance just makes sense.
Broader Customer Appeal
According to the CDC, up to 27 percent of the entire U.S. population lives with a disability, already wielding substantial purchasing power. As the baby boomer generation incurs the disabilities that can come with age, this customer base will grow along with the demand for accessible spaces and technologies. At some point in their lives, nearly everyone—the person recovering from a broken leg to the parent pushing a stroller—will need nontraditional access to places of business. ADA compliance, including ramps or automatic doors, could attract and retain these customers—who may otherwise take their business elsewhere.
Enhancing Brand Reputation
In today’s socially conscious world, consumers and clients are increasingly favoring businesses that demonstrate social responsibility and ethical practices. In fact, a 2020 report by the Capgemini Research Institute found 62 percent of consumers favoring companies that demonstrate ethical values. ADA compliance is a strong indicator of a company’s commitment to social responsibility. By ensuring that their facilities and services are accessible, businesses can enhance their brand reputation, build trust with their customers, and attract top talent who want to be associated with a forward-thinking company.
Tax Incentives
Making the above benefits even more attainable for some companies, a federal tax credit is available to small businesses that incorporate ADA-related “eligible access expenditures.” These expenses may include technological and architectural accommodations, such as the provision of screen readers and other adaptive equipment, sign language interpreters, adaptations to existing facilities, and consulting fees. Tax incentives are also available to businesses that employ people with disabilities. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, for example, can offset up to 40 percent of an employee’s paid wage.
Increased Employee Engagement
“Engagement scores are consistently higher for companies labeled ‘inclusive’,” reports Harvard Business Review. Among the reasons for this, HBR cites that inclusive companies are three times better at coaching employees for improved performance. Accommodations foster a more inclusive, engaged workforce, too. Employment partner agencies that feature workgroup models underscore this finding. These groups, comprised of a employment coach and a small group of employees with disabilities, leverage both on-the-job coaching and the employee engagement that comes with being part of a team. The results are well-trained employees who look forward to coming to work and satisfied employers.
Higher Profits
According to McKinsey’s “Diversity Wins” report, organizations in the top quartile for cultural diversity are 36 percent more profitable than those in the bottom quartile. When a company’s diversity initiatives include employing people with disabilities, profits rise even more. A groundbreaking report by analyst firm Accenture found that such companies see two times more economic profit than their competitors. As disability employment inclusion becomes increasingly normalized, ADA compliance isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s an essential business strategy.
Increased Innovation
In today’s fast-changing business landscape, innovation is more vital to the workplace than ever. McKinsey found that organizational innovation “can generate economic profit that is 2.4 times higher than that of other players.” According to Accenture, businesses that employ and accommodate people with disabilities are more innovative—which should be no surprise. From typing, texting, and voice-recognition to curb cuts and automatic doors, some of our greatest inventions were created by or for people with disabilities.
Employment Partners Make ADA Compliance Easy
If you’re looking for talented, dedicated, enthusiastic employees but are hesitant about directly hiring people with disabilities due to ADA compliance or other concerns, an employment partner like PRIDE Industries can help. Our Workforce Inclusion team helps hundreds of companies recruit, hire, train, and accommodate employees with disabilities at their businesses. We make it easy to access this stellar workforce and enjoy the business and social benefits that come with it.
