Perceived accommodation : an examination of disability management in the workplace

Abstract

Even though they are protected under the Canadian Charter of Human Rights Act, people living with disabilities have historically been the target of stigma and discrimination (Catano et al., 2016). Society has become more accepting of disabling conditions over the years, but people with disabilities continue to face an uphill battle in the workplace because of the perceived burden of accommodating them (Hernandez et al., 2000; McMahon et al., 2008). Therefore, I examined the extent to which worker perceptions of organizational treatment and accommodations were associated with well-being and functioning outcomes across the United States, Canada, and three Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Disability acceptance and disability social rejection were consistently associated with organizational accommodation and treatment of workers with disabilities. Furthermore, differences in cultural expectations and values surrounding disability management may account for observed differences across countries in the way that workers perceive organizational treatment and accommodations.