Employers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Hiring, Retaining, and Promoting Employees With Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Disability is a common component of human diversity, yet people with disabilities (PWD) are underrepresented in the workplace despite known benefits to PWD and companies alike. There is an urgent need to promote inclusion of PWD in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore employer-perceived challenges and strategies for employing, retaining, and promoting people with physical disabilities (PWPD) and to describe the policies, supports, and job accommodations they provide to PWPD. We administered a cross-sectional, online survey to employers in the Midwestern United States ( n = 53). Employers had an average of 8.5 years of experience in their job roles and represented diverse industries and company sizes. Employers provide a range of job accommodations; however, many reported lacking comprehensive disability policies such as training managers on how to support PWPD, providing employee resource groups for PWPD, and having a specific job accommodation fund. Major challenges reported by employers were related to lacking competencies in supporting employees with physical disabilities. However, employers endorsed the utility of strategies to address these challenges, including providing education and training and increasing buy-in from leadership. Study findings inform employers on ways to best support PWPD and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.