Identity management in the workplace: Coworker perceptions of individuals with contested disabilities

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Much of the existing research on disability and disability-related workplace accommodations presume that disabilities are visible and commonly accepted. Yet, many disabilities are invisible and contested, or perceived as fake, low-severity/minor, and/or illegitimate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of identity management strategies that individuals with contested disabilities might use when requesting accommodations in a workplace setting. METHODS: We used two electronic experiments to investigate the effect of identity management strategies on perceived fairness of accommodations and attributions about individuals requesting accommodations. Studies 1 and 2 used online surveys to collect data from 117 and 184 working adults, respectively. RESULTS: Study 1 indicates that four invisible disabilities (chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and chronic migraine) are viewed as significantly less legitimate than the visible disability paraplegia. In study 2, any form of disclosure of a contested disability (vs. no disclosure) resulted in higher perceived fairness and more positive attributions about the person requesting accommodations. There were minimal differences between the different identity management strategies tested. CONCLUSIONS: Workplaces should work to create spaces in which employees can disclose contested disabilities to managers and coworkers without fear of enhanced stigmatization.