Workplace inclusion: exploring employer perceptions of hiring employees with disability

This article provides findings from a qualitative study that interviewed Australian employers about their perceptions of hiring people with disability. 

There were distinct perspectives between people with and without experience of disability. People without experience tended to encourage early sharing of disability in the hiring process, cite organisational culture as a barrier, and shared strong negative emotions towards people with disability. People with experience of disability tended to prioritise autonomy of people with disability in sharing during the hiring process, and an intersectional approach to improve organisational culture. 

Regardless of disability experience, participants tended to share altruistic motives for hiring people with disability, despite this potentially contributing to the maintenance of power dynamics. 

The article highlights the importance of policies that target personal attributes as well as organizational culture and values in decision-making relating to employment. To improve employment rates and experiences of people with disability, the findings support the prioritisation of policies that focus on breaking down barriers caused by people who make hiring decisions.