Providing accommodations for people with disabilities not only is good business, it also can generate significant tax savings for a small business.

Savvy business owners can make their live events more accessible to reach a broader audience. They can also invest in employees with disabilities by making structural adaptations or providing other qualified accommodations.

Here are three key tax credit and vocational assistance programs that are available to small business owners. These programs can significantly increase returns when businesses invest in accessibility.

Disabled Access Credit

The Disabled Access Credit is available to eligible small businesses that invest in modifications in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act. This includes providing qualified interpreters or other established accommodations—such as real-time transcription services—to individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. This tax credit covers 50% of eligible accessibility expenditures ranging from $250 to $10,250 per year.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a government program that helps individuals with disabilities enter or join the workforce. When you hire an individual with a disability, your state-supported VR program may pay a portion of the person’s wages for a set period of time.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program seeks to reward employers who hire employees from specific groups of targeted job seekers. This program can reduce a small business’s federal tax liability by up to $9,600. The tax credit also may be applied for several years, depending on the employee.

TypeWell is a real-time transcription service that provides equal access to spoken conversations in classrooms (schools and colleges), public forums, meetings, and seminars for people with hearing loss and other communication needs. Please visit our Support page or contact us at [email protected].