Employers' attitudes to the employment of the disabled.

This article presents information on the attitude of employers in hiring disabled workers in the U.S. Although positive attitudes towards the employment of disabled people did not necessarily result in the actual employment of these people, these attitudes did relate significantly to previous experience with the disabled. On the other hand, the positive attitudes of employers did not seem to be a function of external pressures to conform. Accordingly the authors stressed the importance of selective placement of disabled people. The topics of this investigation were employers approach to the employment of disabled people, and their experience with individual disabled employees, including people who had become disabled while in their employ. A semi-structured interview schedule was used but any further comments made by the employers were also noted. The employers were asked the reason for the most and least successful employee. Poor work performance was the reason given by ten employers for their choice of the least satisfactory disabled employee.