Labor market discrimination against people with disabilities by employers is an ongoing issue. Lack of information appears to be a causal factor of employers’ negative attitude to the labor market integration of people with disabilities.
OBJECTIVE:
This study is intended to: a) examine the attitudes of 40 private sector employers regarding hiring and integrating in their business people with visual impairments, and b) explore the variation of the recorded attitudes after the application of a short informative program.
METHODS
A relative structured questionnaire of 15 closed type questions was chosen as the research instrument and was distributed to the participants both before and after the application of the informative program, which took place via the demonstration of a structured booklet.
RESULTS:
The results of this research initially revealed negative attitude of the employers in most of the questions. Post the informative program resulted however significant differences in the responses of the employers on most of the questions in regard to their intention of integrating people with visual impairments into their business.
CONCLUSION:
It turns out, that through briefing is possible to change people’s behavior, as the provision of information may result in the revision of existing attitudes.
American Foundation for the Blind (2015). Are you looking for a few good workers? Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=7&TopicID=116&SubTopicID=67&DocumentID=1235
2.
ChanF., McMahonB. T., CheingG., RosenthalD. A., & BezyakJ. (2005). Drivers of workplace discrimination against people with disabilities: The utility of Attribution Theory. Work: Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 25(1), 77–88.
3.
ChanF., StrauserD., MaherP., LeeE. J., JonesR., & JohnsonE. T. (2010). Demand-side factors related to employment of people with disabilities: A survey of employers in the midwest region of the United States. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 20(4), 412–419.
4.
ChappelS. L., & SomersB. C. (2010). Employing persons with autism spectrum disorders: A collaborative effort. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 32(2), 117–124.
5.
CimeraR. E. (2006). The future of supported employment: Don’t panic!. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 24(3), 145–149.
6.
CopelandJ., ChanF., BezyakJ., & FraserR. T. (2010). Assessing cognitive and affective reactions of employers toward people with disabilities in the workplace. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 20(4), 427–434.
7.
CruddenA., WilliamsW., McBroomL. W., & MooreJ. E. (2002). Consumer and employer strategies for overcoming employment barriers (Technical report). Mississippi State: Mississippi State Univ., Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Blindness & Low Vision.
8.
European Centre for Environmental Research and Training. (2007). Research-Study “The role of the employers, of the professional Institutions and of the directors/ human resources managers in the fight against discrimination and the estimation of the future positions in the labor market.”, (pp. 64–67). Athens: Panteion University.
9.
FishbeinM., & AjzenI. (Eds.). (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behor: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
10.
FraserR. T., & ShreyD. F. (1986). Perceived barriers to job placement revisited: Toward practical solutions. Journal of Rehabilitation, 52(4), 26–30.
11.
GilbrideD., StensrudR., EhlersC., EvansE., & PetersonC. (2000). Employers’ attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities and vocational rehabilitation services. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66(4), 17–23.
12.
GolubD. B. (2003). Exploration of factors that contribute to a successful work experience for adults who are visually impaired. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 97(12), 774–778.
13.
GouvierW. D., SteinerD. D., JacksonW. T., SchlaterD., & RainJ. S. (1991). Employment discrimination against handicapped job candidates: An analog study of the effects of neurological causation, visibility of handicap, and public contact. Rehabilitation Psychology, 36(2), 121–129.
14.
GraffamJ., ShinkfieldA., SmithK., & PolzinU. (2002). Factors that influence employer decisions in hiring and retaining an employee with a disability. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 17(3), 175–181.
15.
HahnH. (1984). Reconceptualizing disability: A political science perspective. Rehabilitation Literature, 45(11-12), 362–365, 374.
16.
HarrisS. P., OwenR., JonesR., & CaldwellK. (2013). Does workfare policy in the United States promote the rights of people with disabilities?Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(1), 61–73.
17.
HartnettH. P., StuartH., ThurmanH., LoyB., & BatisteL. C. (2011). Employers’ perceptions of the benefits of workplace accommodations: Reasons to hire, retain and promote people with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 34(1), 17–23.
18.
HernandezB., KeysC., & BalcazarF. (2000). Employer attitudes toward workers with disabilities and their ADA employment rights: A literature review. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66(4), 4–16.
19.
HuntC. S., & HuntB. (2004). Changing attitudes toward people with disabilities. Experimenting with an educational intervention. Journal of Managerial Issues, 16(2), 266–280.
20.
JoffeeE. (Ed.). (1999). A practical guide to the ADA and visual impairment. New York, NY: AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind.
21.
KangD. (2013). Why would companies not employ people with disabilities in Korea?Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 23(3), 222–229.
22.
KennedyJ., & OlneyM. (2001). Job discrimination in the post-ADA era: Estimates from the 1994 and 1995 national health interview surveys. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 45(1), 24–30.
23.
KiernanW. E., & ConleyR. W. (1989). Issues, outcomes and barriers to employment for adults with developmental disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 13, 5–11.
24.
La GrowS. J. (2004). Factors that affect the employment status of working-age adults with visual impairments in New Zealand. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 98(9), 546–559.
25.
LeonardR. (2002). Predictors of job-seeking behavior among persons with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96(9), 635–644.
26.
LueckingR. G. (2008). Emerging employer views of people with disabilities and the future of job development. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 29(1), 3–13.
27.
LueckingR. G., & MooneyM. (2002). Tapping employment opportunities for youth with disabilities by engaging effectively with employers. Research to Practice Brief, 1(3). http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=716
28.
MacyG. (1996). Accommodating employees with disabilities: A matter of attitude. Journal of Managerial Issues, 8(1), 78–91.
29.
O’DayB. (1999). Employment barriers for people with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 93(10), 627–642.
30.
PeckB., & KirkbrideL. T. (2001). Why businesses don’t employ people with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 16(2), 71–75.
31.
SaundersS. L., & NedelecB. (2014). What work means to people with work disability: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 24(1), 100–110.
32.
SchartzH. A., HendricksD. J., & BlanckP. (2006). Workplace accommodations: Evidence based outcomes. Work, 27(4), 345–354.
33.
SolovievaT. I., & WallsR. T. (2013). Implications of workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 28(3), 192–211.
34.
StoneD. L., & ColellaA. (1996). A model of factors affecting the treatment of disabled individuals in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 21(2), 352–401.
35.
UngerD. D. (2002). Employers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities in the workforce: Myths or realities?Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(1), 2–10.
36.
WolffeK. E. (1997). Do the rules change... when you hire a person who is blind or visually impaired?: Texas Commission for the Blind.
37.
WolffeK. E. (1998). Addressing employers’ safety concerns about workers with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 92(4), 227–229.
38.
WolffeK. E., & CandelaA. R. (2002). A qualitative analysis of employers’ experiences with visually impaired workers. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96(9), 622–634.
39.
WolffeK. E., & SpunginS. J. (2002). A glance at worldwide employment of people with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96(4), 245–253.
40.
World Medical Association [WMA]. (2016). WMA Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Retrieved February 21, 2016, from http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html.
41.
YusofA. M., AliM. M., & SallehA. M. (2015). Youth workers with disabilities: The views of employers in Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 204, 105–113.
