Attitudes toward People with Disabilities and Judgments of Employment Potential

Abstract

The relationship between employers' expressed attitudes toward people with disabilities and their impressions of the employment potential of female job applicants was investigated. 120 subjects viewed videotapes of a simulated interview situation which included either an able-bodied applicant, one on crutches, or one in a wheelchair. The dependent measures included a scale for employment characteristics and management potential and the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale. Analysis of variance showed the applicants depicted as disabled were rated higher on the employment characteristics and management potential scales than the able-bodied applicant. Mean scores on the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale were also higher for all depictions of physical condition than published norms indicate. This group of employers appeared to be positively oriented toward people with disabilities.