Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Employing qualified individuals with disabilities can improve organizational competitiveness and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. However, research on disability inclusion policy and practices among employers committed to hiring people with disabilities is limited.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to investigate efforts of Fortune 500 companies to include disability in their DEI policy and examine the effect of disability inclusion policy and practices on employment of people with disabilities

METHODS:

Four hundred sixty-six human resource and project managers with hiring authority participated in the present study. The Disability Inclusion Profiler-23 (DIP-23) was used to assess the perceived importance and implementation level of disability inclusion policy and practices in Fortune 500 and non-Fortune 500 companies. Two-sample independent t-tests were used to compare disability-employment rates and disability inclusion scores between Fortune 500 and non-Fortune 500 groups. Parallel mediation analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which executive level and mid-manager level DIP scores mediated the relationship between Fortune 500 companies and disability employment rates.

RESULTS:

Fortune 500 companies demonstrated higher disability employment rates and better disability inclusion policies and practices compared to non-Fortune 500 companies.

CONCLUSION:

State vocational rehabilitation agencies and other disability service providers should engage Fortune 500 executives to bolster disability inclusion efforts. Collaboration between vocational rehabilitation professionals and mid-level managers can enhance DIP policy implementation, thereby improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Keywords

Disability inclusion policy disability employment Fortune 500 companies parallel mediation analysis

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Accenture. (2023), Companies that lead in disability inclusion outperform peers financially. https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/2023/companies-that-lead-in-disability-inclusion-outperform-peers-financially-reveals-new-research-from-accenture

Bezyak,

, Versen,

, Lee,

, Wu,

J. R.

, Iwanaga,

, Rumrill,

, Chen,

, Ho,

(2024) Needs of human resource professionals in implicit bias and disability inclusion training: A focus group study, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 60(3), 311–319. http://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-240015

Bezyak,

, Iwanaga,

, Moser,

, Chan,

(2021) Assessing employers’ stigmatizing attitudes toward people with disabilities: A brief report, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 54, 185–191. http://doi.org10.3233/JVR-201129

Boston University. (2024), The top 20 Fortune 500 companies on diversity and inclusion. https://questromfeld.bu.edu/resources/the-top-20-fortune-500-companies-on-diversity-and-inclusion/

Boudreau,

(2023) Disability inclusion – the missing piece in DEI efforts. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/disability-inclusion-missing-piece-dei-efforts-denis-boudreau-cpwa/

Casey,

L. S.

, Chandler,

, Levine,

A. S.

, Proctor,

, Strolovitch,

D. Z.

(2017) Intertemporal differences among MTurk workers: Time-based sample variations and implications for online data collection, SAGE Open, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017712774

Chan,

, Iwanaga,

, Tansey,

T. N.

, Ditchman,

, Wehman,

, Wu,

J. R.

, Chen,

(2024) Assessing evidence-based disability inclusion policy and practices to promote employment of people with disabilities in the workplace: Scale development and validation, Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin. Advance online publication.

Chan,

, Livneh,

, Pruett,

, Wang,

C.C.

, Zheng,

(2009) Societal attitudes toward disability: Concepts, measurements, and interventions. In Chan

, Cardoso

, & Chronister

(Eds.), Understanding psychosocial interventions for people with chronic illness and disability: A handbook for evidence-based rehabilitation health professionals (pp. 333–370). Springer Publishing Company.

Chan,

, Tansey,

T. N.

, Iwanaga,

, Bezyak,

, Wehman,

, Phillips,

, Strauser,

, Anderson,

(2021) Company characteristics, disability inclusion practices, and employment of people with disabilities in the post COVID-19 job economy: A cross-sectional study, Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 31, 463–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-020-09941-8

10.

Cohen,

(1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

11.

Collett,

J. W.

(2023) An introduction to this special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation: Transition and individual supports in education and employment, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation,58(2), 99–102. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-230000

12.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion [EARN], n.d.). Accessible onboarding. https://askearn.org/page/accessible-onboarding#:~:text=Offering%20training%20to%20both%20managers,new%20employees%20receive%20the%20information.

13.

Fernando,

(2023), Corporate social responsibility (CSR) explained with examples. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp.

14.

Fryers,

(2006) Work, identity, and health, Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health,2(12), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-0179-2-12

15.

Hauser,

, Paolacci,

, Chandler,

(2019) Common concerns with MTurk as a participant pool: Evidence and solutions. In Kardes

F. R.

, Herr

P. M.

, & Schwarz

(Eds.), Handbook of research methods in consumer psychology (pp. 319–337). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351137713-17

16.

Hayes,

A. F.

(2020), Statistical methods for communication science. Routledge.

17.

Hayes,

A. F.

(2013) Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. The Guilford Press.

18.

Kessler Foundation. (2024). nTIDE February 2024 jobs report: Overall employment trend still positive despite recent declines for people with disabilities. https://kesslerfoundation.org/press-release/ntide-february-2024-jobs-report-overall-employment-trend-still-positive-despite#:~:text=About%20Us-,nTIDE%20February%202024%20Jobs%20Report%3A%20Overall%20Employment%20Trend%20Still%20Positive,the%20University%20of%20New%20Hampshire

19.

Levay,

K. E.

, Freese,

, Druckman,

J. N.

(2016) The demographic and political composition of Mechanical Turk Samples, SAGE Open, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016636433

20.

Livneh,

, Chan,

, Kaya,

(2014) Stigma related to physical and sensory disabilities. In Corrigan

(Ed.), The stigma of disease and disability: Understanding causes and overcoming injustices (pp. 93–120). American Psychological Press.

21.

Lui,

(2022). Christine vs. work: What you need to know about ableism at work. https://hbr.org/2022/08/christine-vs-work-what-you-need-to-know-about-ableism-at-work

22.

Minkin,

(2023). Diversity, equity and inclusion. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/

23.

National Organization on Disability. (2023), National Organization on Disability announces 2023 leading disability employers. https://nod.org/national-organization-on-disability-announces-2023-leading-disability-employers/

24.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (n.d.). Healthy People 2030-Employment. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/employment

25.

Rehabilitation Services Administration. (2022). Fiscal year 2023 budget request. https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget23/justifications/i-rehab.pdf

26.

Rogelberg,

(2024). What is a Fortune 500 company? The story behind the list. https://fortune.com/article/what-is-fortune-500-company-list/

27.

Rubin,

, Roessler,

, Rumrill,

(2016) Foundations of the vocational rehabilitation process (7th ed.). Pro-Ed.

28.

Strauser,

D.R.

(2021) Career development, employment and disability in rehabilitation: From theory to practice (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

29.

Yaghmaian,

, Iwanaga,

, Wu,

J. R.

, Chen,

, Umucu,

, Tao,

, Livneh,

, Chan,

(2019) Reducing prejudice toward people with disabilities. In Dunn

(Ed.), Disability: social psychological perspectives (pp. 52–73). Oxford University Press.

Fortune 500 companies and employment of people with disabilities: The intermediary role of disability inclusion policies and practices

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

OBJECTIVE:

METHODS:

RESULTS:

CONCLUSION:

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References