Lysaght Rosemary, Sparring Cynthia, Ouellette-Kuntz H L Ne, Marshall Carrie Anne
Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2011 Dec;36(4):280-4. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2011.625927. Epub 2011 Nov 4.
Workplace safety is a concern in the employment of persons with intellectual disability, due to both real concerns for employee well-being, and the effect that negative perceptions of safety risk can have on hiring.
This study involved a retrospective analysis of workplace insurance claim records for workers with and without disability in a Canadian social enterprise.
Workers with intellectual disability sustained fewer injuries and experienced fewer absences due to injury than workers without disability. Lost-time injury rates for this business were not significantly different from those reported by other employers in the jurisdiction.
Workplace safety is a concern for all workers, but fear of increased injury rates and heightened compensation costs should not be perceived as a risk when hiring individuals with intellectual disability.
