This document discusses challenges faced by disabled veterans in obtaining and maintaining employment. It provides background on unemployment rates being higher for disabled veterans compared to non-disabled veterans and civilians. Several surveys and studies are summarized that examine perspectives of both employers and disabled veterans. The surveys found that many employers lack initiatives to recruit and accommodate disabled veterans. Veterans face barriers such as their disability, transfer of skills, and cultural adjustments. Both veterans and employers have certain requirements for a successful work relationship. Employers must provide accommodations while ensuring veterans can perform job duties. Successful programs have been implemented but greater efforts are still needed to address this issue.

1. Disabled Veterans’ Challenges to Employment
by
James L. Berman
Texas State University
William P. Hobby Center for Public Service
Track 7 – Capstone Research Project
Dallas/Fort Worth Area CPM Program
May 2015

2. Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 2
Background..................................................................................................................................... 3
Relationship of Service-Connected Disability to Unemployment ............................................ 3
The Challenge to Meet Disabled Veterans’ Special Needs ....................................................... 4
Author’s Surveys and Other Studies.............................................................................................. 5
Two Author’s Surveys................................................................................................................. 5
Cornell University Study............................................................................................................. 6
Prudential Study ......................................................................................................................... 7
Employment Requirements........................................................................................................... 7
For Disabled Veterans ................................................................................................................ 7
For Employers............................................................................................................................. 8
The Causal Relationship ........................................................................................................... 10
Successes Stories.......................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 12
Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 13

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Introduction
Jacob B. served three tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a Special Operator.
Jacob lost his right hand when a grenade simulator prematurely exploded during an exercise in
2007. As Jacob considered different job opportunities after being medically discharged, he had
always wanted to become a Secret Service agent. Jacob belonged to a disabled veterans
support group where a counselor suggested that he apply to the academy despite his disability.
After applying for the academy, Jacob had to pass a fitness-for-duty exam that included proving
he could shoot a gun while wearing his prosthetic hand. However, Jacob faced hostility and
disrespect when he entered training. Eight weeks into the 27-week training course, the training
facility told him that he could not pass the course, and he would be dismissed. It was difficult
for him to understand how he could pass a fitness-for-duty test and then be so mistreated by
the training facility. Jacob sued the training facility for discrimination and won the lawsuit, then
fulfilled his dreams of becoming an agent.
This paper focuses on veterans with service-connected disabilities and their challenges
in transitioning, acquiring, and maintaining employment. Veterans with service-connected
disabilities face significantly more barriers in employment than their nondisabled veteran and
civilian counterparts, primarily because of their special needs. As the number of veterans
returning from war with service-connected disabilities has grown, their special needs for
assistance in obtaining employment has also increased. The Federal Government through the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and nonprofit organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior
Project, have implemented programs to address disabled veterans’ with special needs to obtain
employment. However, the challenges to successfully address these veterans’ special needs
are daunting. Frequently, the challenge is not as much the veteran’s disability as it is the
employer’s focus on the disability instead of the veteran’s abilities.
Department of Labor (DOL) and VA have been tracking statistics on veterans with
disabilities since 1985. As of August 2009, 28 million U.S. veterans, or 13 percent of all U.S.
veterans, reported having a service-connected disability (DLS News 2010). The data reported in

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August 2009 is considered a benchmark because it captures results from Gulf War I era and Gulf
War II era veterans. (Gulf War I veterans served from August 1990 to August 2001; Gulf War II
veterans served from September 2001 through the Present.) Based on trends of veterans with
a service-connected disability, the number of total veterans has decreased between 1986 and
2012 by about 7 million (25%), while the number of service-connected disabled veterans has
increased from 2.3 million to 3.6 million, or 36% (DOVA 2011).
Background
For those disabled veterans who are able to work, the challenge of finding suitable
employment can be a daunting, albeit frustrating, task. Employment assistance has been, and
still is, available through public sources such as state employment services; however, these
sources have not historically addressed the special needs of disabled veterans. As a result, the
unemployment rate for disabled veterans has remained disproportionally higher than for the
average jobseeker.
Relationship of Service-Connected Disability to Unemployment
Those veterans with over 30% service-connected disability face the greatest challenge in
finding employment. Figure 1 below is a compilation of data from years 2003 to 2011. This
chart shows a correlation between the severity of service-connected disability (based on a
percentage of disability) and unemployment. From 2003 to 2009, the unemployment rate for
service-connected disabled veterans is over 30% trending upward (DLS News 2008-2010).
Between 2009 and 2011 when the U.S. economy stabilized, the unemployment rate stabilized,
and there was a decline for those with less severe disability (that is, under 30%) (DLS News
2010-2012).

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Figure 1
The Challenge to Meet Disabled Veterans’ Special Needs
There is no dispute about the fact that disabled veterans have made special sacrifices
for their country, and the end results are long-term injuries. Treating these warriors’ injuries is
expensive, and somebody that is every taxpayer has to pay the bill. Since 1995, the
expenditures for U.S. government payments to service-connected disabled veterans have risen
650%. Three hundred percent of that increase occurred between the years 2000 and 2012
(DOVA 2011). This trend further illustrates the growing need for employment services for the
disabled veterans; it also prompts the question: Who is responsible for addressing these
veterans’ special needs so that they can become productive, tax-paying citizens?
President Obama has been outspoken about U.S. employers’ responsibility to hire, train,
and provide long-term employment for disabled veterans. On August 5, 2011, he met with
several industry leaders to challenge them to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2013 with
particular emphasis on hiring disabled veterans. On November 9, 2009, President Obama
issued Executive Order 13518 - Veterans Employment Initiative to encourage the hiring of
disabled veterans within the federal government (White House 2009). This executive order
established the Interagency Council on Veterans Employment (“Council”), who would advise
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2003 2007 2009 2011
TotalinThousands
Year
Service Connected Disabled Veterans by Disablitiy Rating Unemployed
less than 30 percent of disability rating 30 to 50 percent disability rating 60 percent or higher disability rating

6. Berman 5
and assist the President and the Director of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in
establishing a coordinated government-wide effort to increase the number of veterans
employed by the Federal Government by enhancing recruitment and training. The Veterans
Administration now offers job skills training and placement as part of the disabled veteran’s
recovery and reintroduction into society.
Author’s Surveys and Other Studies
This section discusses the results of two private surveys that were conducted and
compared to the results of two public studies. The approach is to evaluate the disabled
veteran’s employment challenges from both the veterans’ viewpoints and the employers’
perspectives. While there are no right or wrong answers, the following gives a better
understanding of the barriers that disabled veterans face when seeking gainful employment,
and the concerns employers have about employing them.
Two Author’s Surveys
As part of the research to write this paper, two surveys were created and posted on
SurveyMonkey (a survey website)—one for employers (Berman Employer 2016) and one for
disabled veterans (Berman Veterans 2016). On the employer’s survey, 50% of the respondents
were private industry. Only 39% of the employers hired veterans through routine hiring
practices, and none made distinct efforts to recruit veterans. A whopping 61% of these
employers did not participate in special hiring events, tax incentives, and other programs
designed to encourage as well as reward employers for hiring disabled veterans. Concurrently,
80% of the employers do not partner with any veteran groups or agencies to hire disabled
veterans. Employers’ responses are mixed on barriers to the veterans’ employment with
mental stability (14.3%) and visual problems (14.3%) equally weighted as the leading barriers.
Approximately 85% of the employers would terminate a disabled veteran if performance did
not improve with special accommodations. This figure is disturbing because nearly 69% of the
employers stated that their Human Resource associates and 75% said their managers were

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either somewhat informed or not informed in assessing a disabled veterans’ suitability for
employment, training, or reasonable accommodations. In conclusion, the private sector and
nonfederal employers are severely lacking in their responsibility to hire, train, and retain
disabled veterans.
The disabled veteran’s survey produced some interesting results. Approximately 67% of
the respondents held a disability rating of between 51% and 100%. About 55% of the disabled
veterans had sustained an injury while 33% stated they had post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). (It is noteworthy here that there is usually a connection between PTSD and an injury.)
Nearly 67% were employed or between jobs while 33% stated they were unemployable. It is
also interesting that 77% of those surveyed said they never asked their employer for reasonable
accommodations. Half of the veterans said they have not faced discrimination (treated
differently) while 22% said they had faced discrimination. A significant number (44%) would
not recommend their employer to other disabled veterans while slightly over half stated that
they would recommend their employer. Approximately two-thirds had worked for his/her
employer less than five years while one-fifth stated they maintained employment with the
same employer for over ten years. Nearly 80% of the disabled veterans belong to a veteran
organization and/or a support group. About half had a positive experience with the Veterans
Administration (VA); however, a large number (30%) had a negative experience with the VA;
this response indicates that the VA’s image is improving, but still has significant issues.
Cornell University Study
Cornell University conducted a study entitled “Heros at Work: Veterans with Disabilities
in the Workplace” (Rudstam and Young 2010). The results of this study mirrored some of the
findings from the surveys. First, the two principle disabilities for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet these are
categorized as “non-obvious disabilities”. The Cornell study found that 46% of employers are
concerned about hiring a disabled veteran with a mental health issue (stereotype), yet most
Human Resource professionals and managers are not adequately trained to screen for mental

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disabilities. Employers (60%) feel challenged about veterans being able to transfer their
military skills set (another stereotype), yet many employers do not train their Human Resource
professionals and managers about the veterans’ transferable skills. Cornell recommends that
employers develop a strategy for hiring veterans, train recruiters to recognize applicable
military skills for civilian jobs, partner with veteran service organizations, and attend veteran-
specific job fairs.
Prudential Study
Prudential conducted a study called “Veterans Employment Challenges” (Prudential
2012). This study, from the veterans’ perspective, states that two-thirds of veterans have
difficulty transitioning from military to civilian life. Three reasons are (1) finding a civilian job;
(2) transfer of skills; (3) facing a cultural barrier. Two-thirds also are experiencing health issues
as a result of their military service. Veterans have high expectations of their employers to
provide support programs and reasonable accommodations; however, employers are not as
likely to meet this expectation. The Prudential study emphasizes two important aspects that
shown in the Cornell study and the surveys: (1) A greater need for employers to understand
veterans’ disabilities and to provide support programs geared toward meeting those special
needs; and (2) Employers need to become educated about veterans’ transferrable skills.
Employment Requirements
For Disabled Veterans
Employers’ negative stereotyping is one of the key barriers to employment that disabled
veterans face. Disabled veterans are usually eligible for minimal benefits from state and local
social service programs such as food stamps, housing assistance, state-funded medical care for
their minor dependents, and so on. However, disabled veterans are not looking for a hand-out.
Instead, they want to be gainfully employed and accepted as contributing members of society.
Both the disabled veteran and the employer have requirements (a.k.a. “key variables”) that
must be met to achieve a successful employer-employee relationship. For the disabled veteran,

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these requirements present “challenges” that he/she must successfully navigate to achieve and
maintain gainful employment. These challenges are:
1. The type of service-connected disability (brain injury, missing limbs, and such) influences
what kind of employment assistance is required.
2. The experience and the job skills of the veteran are key to what level and type of
training needed for gainful employment.
3. The disabled veteran’s education level is a factor in determining whether or not further
education and what kind (college or vocational training) is required.
4. The disabled veteran’s mobility is important to ensure transportation options to/from
work are available. (That is, can the veteran drive himself/herself to and from work,
require a driver, or use public transportation?)
5. The work site must be accessible to the disabled veteran. (That is, is there handicapped
parking? Elevators versus stairs? Automatic opening entrance doors?)
For Employers
An undisputable fact is that employers, both public and private, exist to deliver products
and/or services at the most reasonable cost. Their largest expenditure to make this happen is
their investment in labor. Public employers have to manage labor and other costs with limited
funds that are mostly derived from taxes. Private employers’ profitability is a key factor in
determining how much they can spend on human capital. Since labor is the most expensive
incurred cost to do business, both public and private employers need to hire the best-qualified
candidates to perform the work.
As shown in the results of the surveys and the studies, employers tend to equate
employee qualifications with his/her physical abilities and associate risk with physical
disabilities. The results also indicate that employment recruiters and managers are not
effectively trained to evaluate persons with disabilities to accurately determine their
qualifications and skills in relation to the job’s physical requirements and available
accommodations. Some employers have unrealistic fears that reasonable accommodations are

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expensive. While some jobs are physically demanding, many jobs can be performed by persons
who are wheelchair bound and only need minor accommodations—a ramp instead of stairs, an
adjustable desk, a larger monitor. A wheelchair-bound man who delivered pizza had his private
van equipped with a lift. With the pizzas in hand, he rolled himself as close to the customer’s
door as he could get, called the customer on the phone to come outside to get the pizzas,
received payment, and went on to the next customer.
Employers do have legitimate concerns when hiring disabled veterans. That is why it is
important for recruiters and hiring managers to understand the disabled applicant’s abilities as
well as physical (or mental) limitations and appropriate reasonable accommodations. Some
legitimate concerns are:
1. Cost of Special Accommodations. Employers are required to make “reasonable”
accommodations for the disabled. The term “reasonable” is open to broad
interpretation. Employers are not required to incur thousands of dollars to
accommodate the special needs of one employee.
2. Physical and Mental Requirements. A disabled veteran must have the physical, mental,
and intellectual capabilities to perform the job as advertised to the public. For example,
if a job is advertised as requiring all applicants to climb stairs and lift 50 plus pounds,
then the job is probably not suitable for a disabled veteran with back problems.
3. Mental Acuity. Employers are concerned about the mental state of disabled veterans
who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other incurred mental
disorders. Disabled veterans are required to interface with and effectively communicate
with their coworkers and customers.
4. Workplace Violence. Closely aligned with mental acuity, disabled veterans must exhibit
the same level of professional demeanor as his/her coworkers. Volatile behavior in the
workplace is not tolerated.
5. Job Qualifications (Education, Training, Experience). Disabled veterans must
meet/exceed the same job qualifications that are expected of other applicants.

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6. Job Demands Like Travel, Work Hours, Etc. Disabled veterans have to meet the same
job demands that are expected of other employees.
7. Job Performance. Disabled veterans must meet the same job performance standards as
his/coworkers.
Other than reasonable accommodations, disabled veterans and others with disabilities
are not afforded any special treatment that isn’t available to non-disabled employees. If a
disabled veteran cannot perform his/her job, then he/she is subject to the same disciplinary
action or termination as any other employee.
The Causal Relationship
A causal relationship exists between the disabled veteran and successful employment.
There is a balancing relationship where the disabled veteran accepts the reality that a lifestyle
change is necessary to manage effectively his/her disability and be employed. Another
balancing relationship occurs where the disabled veteran needs reasonable accommodations in
order maintain gainful employment. Accessibility to the workplace has a reinforcing
relationship between the disabled employee and his/her employer because the disabled
employee must have reliable transportation to and from work while the employer must then
provide easy access to the workplace upon the employee’s arrival.
Successes Stories
The U.S. companies who invest in recruiting, hiring and training veterans (including
disabled veterans) capitalize on a readily available supply of candidates that offer unique soft
and hard skills. These companies build on the transferable skills sets that veterans bring to
their organizations. Most of the businesses that emphasize hiring of veterans, such as
Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, are defense contractors who need the soldiers’ unique skills
to develop products in support of the military.

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A survey of the best companies for hiring veterans in 2016 (Altman 2016) resulted in the
following findings:
1. Veterans accounted for more than 13 percent of the employee populations and more
than 17 percent of new hires (likely a result of a conscious focus on vet recruiting);
2. These companies dedicated one-fifth of their recruiting budgets to military-connected
employees.
3. More than three-quarters of companies specifically track applications for veterans, and
about 40% offer veterans preference in the hiring process.
4. More than 85 percent offer in-house training on military culture, career paths, and
related matters. These are critical areas for transitioning military personnel.
5. Better than three-quarters have a military affinity group at the company with 95 percent
of the companies employing a service member, veteran or military spouse in the ranks
of its senior leadership.
The non-defense companies, such as USAA, Verizon, and Bank of America, find that its
candidates who have military experience also bring self-discipline and strong work ethics. Any
company can teach job skills; however, it is much more challenging to train employees in the
art of professionalism. USAA has developed a recruitment initiative to attract junior officers to
join its management training program. These companies, such as USAA, target the knowledge
they gain from hiring former service members to market products and services to active duty
personnel, veterans, and their families–a significant portion of their customer base.
Recruiting companies, such as RecruitMilitary and Bradley-Morris, Inc., are founded by
veterans who serve as conduits for military personnel to find jobs in the private sector. These
companies sponsor job fairs, seminars, and private hiring events throughout the country that
are exclusively for active military and veterans. RecruitMilitary partners with the Wounded
War Project to offer job fairs for only disabled veterans. In addition to job listings, their
websites provide informative articles about how military skills translate into civilian job
qualifications. While providing a job search resource for transitioning military members and

13. Berman 12
veterans, these recruiting companies also meet with employers to educate them about the
benefits of hiring veterans (Altman 2016).
Conclusion
When compared to their civilian counterparts and non-disabled veterans, the disabled
veteran faces significant challenges in the entire employment process. Some of these
difficulties are inherent to their unique special needs. Other challenges involve dealing with
employers’ stereotypes based on the employer’s definition of the “normal employee”. Based
on the surveys and studies cited in this paper, it appears that the private sector still holds an
unfounded bias against hiring disabled veterans. However, several leading companies actively
recruit and hire veterans (including disabled veterans), because they recognize the valuable
skills that this population brings to the success of their organizations. The federal government
leads the charge to recruit, hire, and train veterans, particularly disabled veterans, into its
ranks. Today, it is common to see employees on the job who may get around in wheelchairs
and who may have service dogs with them at work.
Disabled veterans possess the transferable job skills, self-discipline, and motivation to
be productive employees in the workplace and contributing members of society. It is
recognized that there are some disabled veterans whose extensive injuries prevent them from
being gainfully employed. However, most disabled veterans want employers to acknowledge
the valuable skills they bring to the workplace and to accept them for their abilities—not their
DIS-abilities. Let us not forget that these service-connected disabilities are the result of the
veterans’ sacrifices for the freedoms that all U.S. citizens enjoy. Thus, employers need to
realize that they, too, owe the success of their businesses and the freedoms they enjoy to the
soldiers who fought and were injured—even died—on their behalf.

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Works Cited
Altman, G. R. Military Times. News. March 21, 2016. Best for Vets: Employers 2016 - our
7th annual rankings.
Berman, James. SurveyMonkey. March 2016. Disabled Veteran Survey.
Berman, James. SurveyMonkey. March 2016. Employer’s Survey Regarding Disabled
Veterans Employment.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor. News. Document No.
USDL-08-56. April 20, 2008. Employment Situation of Veterans: 2007.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor. News. Document No.
USDL-10-0825. March 12, 2010. Employment Situation of Veterans: 2009.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor. News. Document No.
USDL-12-0493. March 20, 2012 Employment Situation of Veterans: 2011.
Department of Veterans Affairs. Veteran Population. Veteran Affairs Statistics: 2011.
Web.
Prudential Financial. Presentation. May 2012. Veterans’ Employment Challenges. Web.
Rudstam, H., and Young, J. North East ADA. Web. December 17, 2010. “Heroes at Work:
Veterans with Disabilities in the Workplace”.
White House. Office of the Press Secretary. Press Release. November 9. 2009. Executive
Order 13518 - Veterans Employment Initiative.