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People with a disability more likely to request changes in workplace than those with no disability

May 14, 2020

In July 2019, 13.8 percent of people with a disability reported that they had requested a change in their current workplace to help them do their job better. This was higher than the 9.1 percent of people with no disability who had requested a change. Such changes included new or modified equipment; physical changes to the workplace; policy changes to the workplace; changes in work tasks, job structure, or schedule; changes in communication or information sharing; changes to comply with religious beliefs; accommodations for family or personal obligations; training; or other changes.

Percent of employed who requested a change in their current workplace to help them do their job better by age, sex, and disability status, July 2019
Age and sex With a disability With no disability

Total, 16 years and older

13.8% 9.1%

16 to 64 years

15.4 9.2

65 years and older

6.8 7.4

Men

11.3 8.6

Women

16.8 9.7

Among workers with a disability ages 16 to 64, 15.4 percent had asked for a change in their current workplace, compared with 6.8 percent of those age 65 and older. Employed women with a disability were more likely than men to have requested a change in their current workplace (16.8 percent, compared with 11.3 percent.)

People with a disability who asked for a change in their workplace were more likely to have requested physical changes to the workplace than were those with no disability—21.0 percent versus 14.4 percent. In contrast, employed people with no disability were more likely than those with a disability to request policy changes, training, or accommodations for family or personal obligations.

Percent of employed who requested a change in the workplace by disability status and type of workplace change requested, July 2019
Type of change requested With a disability With no disability

New or modified equipment

33.0% 36.5%

Physical changes

21.0 14.4

Policy changes

8.7 21.5

Work tasks or schedule

40.2 46.1

Changes in communication or information sharing

11.6 15.3

Changes to comply with religious beliefs

0.1 1.6

Accommodations for family or personal obligations

8.7 13.7

Training

6.5 12.5

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “Persons with a Disability: Barriers to Employment, Types of Assistance, and Other Labor-Related Issues — July 2019.” These data were collected as part of the July 2019 Current Population Survey to learn more about the employment situation of people with disabilities.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, People with a disability more likely to request changes in workplace than those with no disability at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/people-with-a-disability-more-likely-to-request-changes-in-workplace-than-those-with-no-disability.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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