Disabilities in the Workplace

About 20% of the population has a disability of some kind, according to the Census Bureau. Here's a breakdown of their place in the workforce:

• 48% of those with non-severe disabilities between the ages of 21 and 64 are working full-time compared to 63% of those without any disability.
• 82% of businesses have no programs in place for integrating people with disabilities into the workforce, according to a Kessler Foundation survey.
• The same survey found 19% of companies have a specific person or department overseeing the hiring of the disabled. When the foundation survey businesses and asked the same question in 1995, the percentage was more than twice that high (40%).