Negative employer attitudes have been identified as a major barrier to employment for people who are blind or visually impaired, yet we know little about what influences employer attitudes toward this population.
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of the study was to replicate an earlier study of predictors of employer attitudes towards people who are blind or visually impaired as employees, utilizing a larger sample of employers and including additional predictor and control variables.
METHODS:
An online survey was conducted with a national sample of hiring managers, resulting in a usable sample of 379. Multiple regression was utilized to identify predictors of employer attitudes.
RESULTS:
Five variables significantly predicted employer attitudes: having hired someone in the past, knowledge about how work tasks can be accomplished, belief in knowledge, having a relationship with vocational rehabilitation (VR), and being female. Although communication with VR had a strong association with employer attitudes, having hired functioned as a mediator of the relationship between it and employer attitudes, indicating that communication with VR may influence employers’ hiring decisions.
CONCLUSION:
VR professionals should interact with employers as much as possible to encourage the hiring of people who are blind or visually impaired. Going beyond initial contacts to developing relationships is important.
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