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Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Published in: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 4/2017

01-12-2017

Disability at Work: A Look Back and Forward

Authors: Lisa Schur, Kyongji Han, Andrea Kim, Mason Ameri, Peter Blanck, Douglas Kruse

Published in: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation | Issue 4/2017

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Abstract

Purpose This article presents new evidence on employment barriers and workplace disparities facing employees with disabilities, linking the disparities to employee attitudes. Methods Analyses use the 2006 General Social Survey to connect disability to workplace disparities and attitudes in a structural equation model. Results Compared to employees without disabilities, those with disabilities report: lower pay levels, job security, and flexibility; more negative treatment by management; and, lower job satisfaction but similar organizational commitment and turnover intention. The lower satisfaction is mediated by lower job security, less job flexibility, and more negative views of management and co-worker relations. Conclusion Prior research and the present findings show that people with disabilities experience employment disparities that limit their income, security, and overall quality of work life. Technology plays an increasingly important role in decreasing employment disparities. However, there also should be increased targeted efforts by government, employers, insurers, occupational rehabilitation providers, and disability groups to address workplace barriers faced by employees with disabilities, and by those with disabilities seeking to return to work.
Appendix
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Footnotes
1
Analysis of the 2014 American Community Survey shows that among working-age people who did not receive any disability income in the past 12 months, 49.7% of people with disabilities were employed compared to 76.9% of people without disabilities (calculations available on request).
 
2
It is likely these figures understate the problem due to “social desirability” bias, and the frequent discrepancy found between the attitudes employers express towards people with disabilities on surveys and their actual hiring practices [71].
 
3
Ordered probits predicting the ease of finding another job found the disability coefficients of -0.160 (T = − 1.129) before controlling for occupation, and − 0.170 (T = − 1.170) after controlling for occupation. Both regressions control for gender, race, age, Hispanic, and education. The sample sizes were 689 and 684 respectively. Full results are available on request.
 
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Metadata
Title
Disability at Work: A Look Back and Forward
Authors
Lisa Schur
Kyongji Han
Andrea Kim
Mason Ameri
Peter Blanck
Douglas Kruse
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 1053-0487
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3688
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-017-9739-5

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