Authors: Nanette Goodman, Samantha Deana, Fitore Hyseni, Michal Soffer, Gary Shaheen, and Peter Blanck
Publication Date: 2024
Abstract: This study explored the motivations and challenges small employers face when hiring people with disabilities and how their attitudes and willingness to hire vary based on disability type. A total of 393 business owners and decision-makers at companies with fewer than 100 employees were surveyed. Analyses examined variations in respondents’ willingness to hire and the prevailing attitudes among the participants and explored the connections among attitudinal barriers, facilitators, and willingness to hire individuals with various disabilities. Results reveal that, in terms of hiring people with disabilities, the most important concerns among employers are: inability to discipline, being unfamiliar with how to hire and accommodate, and uncertainty over accommodation costs. These concerns did not differ between employers covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and non-covered employers. However, ADA-covered employers were more likely to say they would hire an applicant with a disability. For small companies (less than 15 employees), the positive effect of the facilitators (positive perceptions about workers with disabilities) almost completely offsets the negative effect of the barriers. However, for the larger companies, the marginal effect for an additional barrier is significantly more predictive than for an additional facilitator. Among the disabilities examined, employers are least likely to hire someone with blindness, followed by mental health disabilities, intellectual disabilities, deafness, and physical disabilities, underscoring that employers do not view all types of disabilities as equally desirable at work. Findings suggest greater openness among ADA-covered employers to hiring people with disabilities, but the perceived barriers indicate a need for ongoing information on effective intervention strategies to increase disability hiring among all small employers.
Citation: Goodman, N., Deane, S., Hyseni, F., Soffer, M., Shaheen, G., Blanck, P. (2024.) Perceptions and bias of small business leaders in employing people with different types of disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 34(2), Pgs. 359-372
Keywords: Economic Inclusion, employees with disabilities, Employment, Homepage Featured
May 13, 2024
Researchers: Nanette Goodman, Samantha Deana, Fitore Hyseni, Michal Soffer, Gary Shaheen, and Peter Blanck
University Affiliate: Syracuse University
Full Publication: Goodman, N., Deane, S., Hyseni, F., Soffer, M., Shaheen, G., Blanck, P. (2024.) Perceptions and bias of small business leaders in employing people with different types of disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Summary
This study explored the motivations and challenges small employers face when hiring people with disabilities and how their attitudes and willingness to hire vary based on disability type. A total of 393 business owners and decision-makers at companies with fewer than 100 employees were surveyed. Analyses examined variations in respondents’ willingness to hire and the prevailing attitudes among the participants and explored the connections among attitudinal barriers, facilitators, and willingness to hire individuals with various disabilities. Results reveal that, in terms of hiring people with disabilities, the most important concerns among employers are: inability to discipline, being unfamiliar with how to hire and accommodate, and uncertainty over accommodation costs. These concerns did not differ between employers covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and non-covered employers. However, ADA-covered employers were more likely to say they would hire an applicant with a disability. For small companies (less than 15 employees), the positive effect of the facilitators (positive perceptions about workers with disabilities) almost completely offsets the negative effect of the barriers. However, for the larger companies, the marginal effect for an additional barrier is significantly more predictive than for an additional facilitator. Among the disabilities examined, employers are least likely to hire someone with blindness, followed by mental health disabilities, intellectual disabilities, deafness, and physical disabilities, underscoring that employers do not view all types of disabilities as equally desirable at work. Findings suggest greater openness among ADA-covered employers to hiring people with disabilities, but the perceived barriers indicate a need for ongoing information on effective intervention strategies to increase disability hiring among all small employers.
