Low Cost, High Impact

Introduction

*Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, JAN provides employers and workers with information and direct assistance with the accommodation process. This information is informal guidance only; it is not legal advice.

Updated September 17, 2025

A wealth of talent awaits employers who open their doors to candidates with disabilities. Many disabled workers are skilled problem solvers by virtue of having to manage a disability daily in a world that wasn’t designed for them. In the workplace, the key to hiring and retaining this talent is to provide effective accommodations when needed.

Often, workplace accommodations are easy to implement and cost less than employers think. A survey conducted by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)  indicates that accommodations are not only commonly low in cost, but also broadly beneficial in the workplace. Employers are increasingly interested in understanding the costs associated with implementing accommodations and keeping valuable employees in their jobs.

In This Report

JAN sent surveys to 26,028 employers who contacted JAN between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2024. This report draws from the 5,406 employer responses JAN received to the survey. Those who completed the survey represent a wide array of industry sectors (e.g., manufacturing, service, and wholesale/retail sales) and vary in size (from small businesses to global Fortune 500 companies). Surveyed employers include those who had previously contacted JAN seeking information about workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or both. Approximately eight weeks after their initial contact, these employers were asked a series of questions about the situation they had discussed with JAN, the quality of JAN’s services, and the outcome of any accommodations the employer had subsequently implemented.

Of the survey participants, 1,425 (26%) provided information related to the cost of accommodations they had implemented. More than half (61%) of these respondents reported that the accommodations they made cost nothing to implement (e.g., modifying an employee’s work schedule, changing a company policy); 33% reported that their accommodations incurred a one-time expense, with a median cost of $300 (e.g., providing the employee with screen-reading software, installing an automatic door opener); and 6% said their accommodations resulted in ongoing costs, with a median annual cost of $2,400 (e.g., providing a sign language interpreter during meetings). For further details, see Finding 2, below.

Surveyed employers who made workplace accommodations reported that the benefits far outweighed any associated costs. Such benefits included:

• Retaining valuable employees;
• Improving productivity and morale; and
• Reducing workers’ compensation and training costs.

Employers also reported that JAN understood and met their needs. In addition, 100% of employers stated they would use JAN’s services again for assistance with workplace accommodations.

Overall, the survey found that contacting JAN to obtain information on workplace accommodations—a free service—typically results in modifications that have a low cost and a high, positive impact for the employer.

Key Findings

Below are five notable findings from JAN’s employer survey questions.

1. Employers want to provide accommodations to retain valued and qualified employees.

More than half (56%) of the employers surveyed reported contacting JAN for guidance on retaining a current employee. On average, employees associated with a JAN request had been with their company for five years and eight months (n=3,637). Median wages for these employees were $18.88 per hour (for hourly workers) and $65,225 per year (for salaried workers). In addition, 65% of employees for whom employers requested accommodation information had a college associate degree or higher.

2. Most employers report no cost or low costs for accommodating employees with disabilities.

Of the 1,425 employers who shared cost information related to accommodations they had implemented, 872 (61%) said the accommodation their employee needed cost nothing; 466 (33%) reported that their accommodations incurred a one-time expense, with a median cost of $300 (n=434); and 87 (6%) said the accommodation resulted in an ongoing, annual median cost of $2,400 (n=67) to the company.

3. Employers report accommodations are effective.

Employers who implemented accommodations were asked to rate the effectiveness of the accommodations. Of the 2,069 employers responding to the question about effectiveness, the majority (66%) reported that the accommodations were either very effective or extremely effective at helping workers with disabilities perform their job duties, while 22% reported accommodations to be somewhat effective and 12% reported them to be ineffective.

4. Employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations.

Employers who made accommodations for employees with disabilities reported multiple direct and indirect benefits as a result. The most frequently mentioned direct benefits of accommodations included (with percentage of employers reporting):

• Increased employee retention (85%);
• Increased employee productivity (52%);
• Eliminated costs associated with training a new employee (48%);
• Increased employee attendance (47%);
• Saved workers’ compensation or other insurance costs (24%);
• Hiring of a qualified person with a disability (18%); and
• Promotion of an employee (8%).

The most commonly mentioned indirect benefits of accommodations were:

• Improved interactions with coworkers (35%);
• Increased overall company safety (30%);
• Increased overall company morale (29%);
• Increased overall company productivity (21%);
• Improved interactions with customers (21%); and
• Increased overall company attendance (19%).

5. Employers find JAN helpful during the accommodation process.

Ninety-seven percent of employers (n=3,184) who answered questions about JAN’s services reported that JAN understood their needs. In addition, 92% stated the information JAN sent them met their needs. And 100% of employers stated they would use JAN again.