Employees with disabilities make up nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet they continue to face pay gaps and lower employment rates compared to non-disabled workers. A new national study co-authored by a University of Illinois Springfield professor challenges common assumptions about workplace performance and costs related to disability.

The study, published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior and co-authored by UIS Associate Professor in the College of Business, Siddharth K. Upadhyay, used a research method called meta-analysis in which the team reviewed more than 14,000 academic articles and analyzed 50 studies representing over 5.7 million workers.

Their findings show that employees with disabilities perform at levels comparable to non-disabled employees and do not differ meaningfully in absenteeism, turnover, job tenure, or workers’ compensation claims. Despite this, employees with disabilities continue to earn less and report higher levels of perceived discrimination.

Upadhyay said the motivation for the study came from the disconnect between employer perceptions and real-world evidence.

“Disabled workers make almost one-fourth of the American workforce, and yet we see a major gap in their employment versus workers without disabilities,” he said. “A major barrier to hiring employees with disabilities is employers’ concerns about productivity, attendance, and cost. We wanted to look at all of that evidence together and see what actually holds up.”

One key finding was that employees with disabilities reported similar job demands, including physical, psychological, and time-related demands, as their non-disabled coworkers. According to Upadhyay, this shows that employees with disabilities often manage challenges through accommodations, strategies, and support.

“There’s no evidence to support the idea that employees with disabilities are more costly to organizations,” Upadhyay said.

While overall workplace support was similar across groups, employees with disabilities reported slightly lower levels of support from organizations, supervisors, and coworkers, as well as higher levels of perceived discrimination. They also reported lower psychological well-being, job confidence, and feelings of autonomy, factors Upadhyay says deserve more attention.

“This research matters because it helps correct misconceptions and shows where change is actually needed,” he said. “Pay gaps get attention, but the bigger issue is the full experience, autonomy, confidence, flexibility, and access to support.”

Upadhyay believes students and the UIS campus community can play an important role in creating more inclusive environments. He encourages students to support autonomy when working in group projects, student organizations, or campus jobs by allowing students with disabilities to decide how they complete tasks when possible. He also cautioned against “overhelping,” which can unintentionally undermine confidence.

“Trust students with disabilities to meet expectations on their own terms,” he said.

Flexibility, he said, benefits everyone, “Be flexible in how outcomes are achieved, tools, pacing, or timing, while staying clear about what’s non-negotiable.”

Most importantly, Upadhyay urged students to avoid viewing peers with disabilities from a paternalistic perspective.

“There is tremendous diversity within disabilities,” he said. “The person who knows best how to manage a disability is the person with that disability. Give people the autonomy and independence to succeed in their own way.”