Black Enterprise, February 2009

Copyright 2009 Earl G. Graves Publishing Company, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Black Enterprise

February 2009

HEADLINE: Breaking Barriers in the Workplace

BYLINE: LaToya M. Smith, EDITED BY ANNYA M. LOTT LOTTA@BLACKENTERPRISE.COM

HIGHLIGHT:

How professionals with disabilities are working to benefit their companies bottom line

BODY:

JAMES HARPER CONTRACTED POLIO FROM A SICK RELAtive when he was just 11 months old. The disease weakened his leg muscles causing him to spend most of his childhood undergoing reconstructive surgeries. But with therapy and the assistance of crutches and a leg brace, Harper was able to walk for the first time when he was 9 years old.

Walking was just one of the many obstacles Harper has had to conquer. But as much as he has been frustrated with some of the social challenges of his life, he was determined to not allow his physical disability to deter his professional goals. "I know what it's like to never be picked for the basketball team or the baseball team," recalls Harper of his childhood experience, "but I found my mobility in airplanes."

It was his fascination with air flight and spending time with an uncle who worked as a crop duster on the family's farm in Mississippi that influenced him to go to work for Boeing in 1974 at the age of 23.

Today, at 57, Harper is a senior financial analyst for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. One of 56 million Americans with a disability, Harper is also president of the Boeing Employees Ability Awareness Association.

"It was challenging getting in [corporate America] because there is a misconception there's a multiplicity of things that a person with a disability can't do," Harper laments.

According to Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute, working, age people (ages 21-64) with disabilities were only 22% as likely to be employed as a working-age person without a disability. Furthermore, a larger percentage of African Americans are denied from vocational rehabilitation programs and are often provided less training and less money compared to white Americans, according to reports released by The Rehabilitation Act.

Nadine O. Vogel, president of Springboard Consulting L.L.C., which services clients interested in marketing to individuals with disabilities, says, "Companies often hesitate to employ talented disabled workers because of fear that it may be too costly." Vogel explains the costs can include special computer software and adjustable chairs and desks. But the Office of Disability Economic Policy research finds that not all disabled persons will need accommodations and for those who do, the average cost is about $600.

Harper enjoyed minor accommodations when he first started as an accountant with Boeing 34 years ago. He was given the closest of handicapped parking and hourly breaks to ease the discomfort in his legs. His leg brace, which extends from his ankle to thigh, often restricts blood flow in his extremities.

Today, however, Harper now has a foot rest and a desk that adjusts in height so he can use it from a sitting or standing position.

"Accommodations are made to remove workplace barriers so that the employee can perform the essential functions of the job and enjoy equal employment opportunities," explains Fanée B. Harrison, director of Cultural Diversity & Inclusion at Boeing.

Despite lingering fears about hiring people with disabilities, corporations are acknowledging that discriminating against talented individuals because of a disability only hurts companies who could benefit from their skills. And so companies are starting to develop programs that assist disabled employees to perform in a variety of circumstances.

For example, Marriott International offers an at home reservation agent position for its disabled workers known as "Myplace by Marriott." In addition, the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, an independently incorporated not-for-profit organization, helps youth with disabilities transition into potential long-term employment.

GRAPHIC: Picture, HARPER'S DESK ADJUSTS IN HEIGHT TO ACCOMMODATE HIS DISABILITY.

LOAD-DATE: January 22, 2009