Synopsis "Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities"
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted the 2008 Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities. This survey emphasized current attitudes and practices of employers in 12 industry sectors, including some high growth industries as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). ODEP was also interested in understanding employer perspectives by company size. Previous surveys have documented employer response to the Americans with Disabilities Act and have identified barriers that employers experience or believe they will encounter in recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting workers with disabilities. For example, a 2003 telephone survey of 502 randomly selected private sector employers asked about employer views on people with disabilities in the workplace, accommodations, and economic issues (Dixon, 2003). However, there are several findings from this study that needed clarification and explanation. For example, when employers were asked what the greatest barrier to hiring people with disabilities was, 32 percent said the nature of work is such that people with disabilities cannot effectively perform it, while 22 percent answered they didn't know. Another study found that 22 percent of employers identified attitudes and stereotypes as a significant barrier to employment for people with disabilities (Bruyère, 2000). In order to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, it is important to know whether these beliefs are more prevalent in certain industries or vary by company size. A literature review also revealed the following weaknesses in the methods utilized in the research about employers (Hernandez, Keys, & Balcazar, 2000; Unger, 2002): Industry sectors. Little data exist to substantiate a comparison of practices between industries. High growth industries. Little research has been conducted on companies in rapidly growing industries. There is a high likelihood that an interest in recruiting employees with disabilities may exist in these industries. Company size. Little research has compared employer perspectives on the employment of people with disabilities based on company size. ODEP concluded that the research on employer perspectives on employing people with disabilities needed a strategic and scientifically based approach that rigorously collects and aggregates data from multiple types of employers. This survey was designed to fill a gap in knowledge about the practices and organizational challenges that employers face in recruiting, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities. There have been surveys conducted on employer attitudes, but there were no nationally representative studies on employer practices and challenges by company size and industry sector. This survey focused on industry segments and company size to ask detailed questions about practices, challenges and strategies. The strength of this survey is its emphasis on comprehensive sampling based on industry sectors, company size, and individuals at the executive level. This new knowledge on employer perspectives on employing people with disabilities will help ODEP formulate targeted strategies and policies for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. While ODEP has conducted focus groups with high level executives, this survey provided detailed and comprehensive data on employer attitudes and practices regarding hiring, recruitment, and retention for the industries involved.
