hile much of the attention in diversity efforts in business today is focused on race, religion and sexual orientation, providing opportunities for persons with disabilities is an important talent issue that business leaders should address within their organizations.

According to the 2006 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 41 million Americans, or about 15 percent of the population, have some sort of disability.

Of this population, more than 7 percent between the ages of 16 and 64 reported an employment disability -- meaning that they reported a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting six months or more that made it difficult "working at a job or business."

Consider this: More than 10 percent of today's current college students in the United States have disabilities. Add to that number tens of thousands of disabled veterans who are eager to transition back to civilian life and will be looking to secure employment. Additionally, many U.S. employees tend to have longer careers than in the past, which means more than 50 percent of them will need to cope with some type of disability while employed in the workforce.

These factors all point to the importance of developing working environments that are sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities. With 36 million people reaching retirement age by 2014, companies need to begin the adjustment now, if they have not yet done so, and realize the potential gains that come with employing workers with disabilities.

The bottom line is that tapping into the talent and potential of people with disabilities is a sound business choice.

Creating a disabilities-friendly environment just comes down to working with individuals and discussing their unique needs. And for businesses not currently in the position to hire, creating a co-op program for disabled persons or even inviting a speaker to come to your workplace and raise awareness among your employees about disabilities is a step in a positive direction.

So what is preventing businesses from hiring employees with disabilities?

Despite the talents and skills that workers with disabilities can bring to the workplace, there are many myths that exist today that cause companies to explore other avenues.

Some hiring professionals believe that accommodations could be costly. However, many people with disabilities simply don't need accommodations beyond what is already available in the average workplace. And if they do, the average cost of an accommodation is typically less than $600. But even then, a company may not need to incur the cost -- government grants can often completely offset the cost of accommodations.

Another myth involves fear around a lack of retention for this group. In reality, retention in certain areas actually can be better among employees with disabilities. For example, in Bayer's experience, we've been extremely successful at attracting and retaining employees with disabilities in the IT help desk function.

Some companies believe that people with disabilities can't keep up with the "fast pace" of corporate America. In reality, the business environment that employees with disabilities face can be far less challenging than the hurdles these employees face in other aspects of their lives. Often, employees with disabilities can and do thrive in a business environment.

Finally, there is some reluctance for companies to hire people with disabilities to avoid any disruptions in the workplace. What if an employee with disabilities is underperforming and needs to be let go? In reality, the HR policies and procedures a company sets up should help managers avoid these instances, just as they do with employees who do not have disabilities.

For example, Bayer has developed an aggressive initiative to diversify our workforce by hiring people with disabilities. First, we've found that people who become disabled may have had training, but lack the professional experience to secure a position.

To help, Bayer established a program at Bayer MaterialScience in 2008 with a goal of giving people with disabilities work experience and on-the-job training in order to make them more marketable. Bayer benefits from the talents of those hired through the program, and employees receive the experience they need to take a full-time position within Bayer or at another company.

Once we've hired an employee with disabilities, we discuss individual accommodation plans with disabled workers, providing flexible workstations, and accessible technology depending on each worker's needs.

Bayer MaterialScience is even evaluating an initiative that will consolidate its Intranet sites in a disability-friendly design. Bayer also conducts disability awareness training on an ongoing basis for all employees.

Business leaders must move beyond myths and realize the importance of this workforce issue. It is imperative to adapt hiring procedures and work environments to be inclusive for all workers, including those with disabilities.

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