...the people with whom they work. Supervisors and management staff will make decisions that affect employees. The individual choices that people make regarding the hiring of people with disabilities can be guided by their attitudes (Hernandez, Keys Balcazar, 2000). The 1999 President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities pointed out that, regarding employment, "often, the most difficult barriers to overcome are attitudes other people carry regarding people with disabilities" (p. 2). These attitudes could generate from ignorance, misunderstanding, stereotyping, backlash and fear (Peck & Kirkbride; 2001, Smart, 2001). Ultimately, they will restrict a person with a disability from equal access in the US society. Kennedy and Olney (2001) found that discrimination in the world of work, despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is still a serious problem for people with disabilities. They suggest that, although the ADA was designed to promote economic independence of individuals with disabilities, the legal protections must be augmented by changing employer attitudes that foster job discrimination.

Social discrimination is considered to be one of the most significant problems for people with disabilities (Antonak & Livneh, 2000; Lebed, 1985). Often, the individual with a disability is seen as "owning" the problem rather than having limitations caused by environmental restrictions such as discrimination (Kaplan, 2000). Smart (2001) discusses societal practices toward people with dis abilities that stem from prejudicial sources such as charity, preferential treatment, and financial compensation; "Stereotypes of any kind lead to behaviors and actions that limit and reduce the opportunities of people in that category" (p. 185). Pertaining to employment, discriminatory stereotyping is a pervasive negative attitude that focuses on a person's disability rather than on a person's ability (Department of Labor [DOL], 2003a). The Department of Labor (DOL) discusses a need for a concerted effort to dispel the attitudinal barriers that prevent full integration of people with disabilities in the world of work (2003c). The attitudes of employers can affect the employment outcomes for people with disabilities (Kennedy & Olney, 2001). Many disability advocates believe negative social attitudes have led to the unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities in the United States. This attitudinal discrimination can exist in many different areas of life and is particularly noticeable in the vocational setting.

Attitudes

Attitudes are "a combination of beliefs and feelings that predispose a person to behave a certain way" (Noe, 2002, p. 108). Chubon (1992) believes that attitudes and behavior are linked and that attitude motivates behavior. He sees attitudes as comprising three elements: cognition, affect, and behavior-responses. Noe suggests that attitudes are made up of cognitive, affective, and internal components (2002). In developing their instrument to measure attitudes of employers, Clark and Crewe (2000) evaluated the link between attitude and behavior. They suggested that attitudes are learned. In their study, they defined attitude as the cognitive, perceptual, and affective influences that affect the direction of favorability and behavior (toward people with disabilities). Schmelkin (1988) also believes behavior is influenced by attitude, suggesting, "such things as attitudes, behaviors, expectations, interactions, treatment, and attributions that are made" with regard to people with disabilities will be affected by the stereotypes that are held by individuals (p. 127). The way people think about disability can affect the way they act toward people with disabilities. Negative social attitudes lead to situations that develop, reinforce, and solidify socio-environmental barriers to mainstream activities such as work, for people with disabilities (Clark & Crewe, 2000). McFarlin, Song and Sonntag (1991) surveyed Fortune 500 personnel executives and found negative attitudes toward the hiring of people with disabilities. These negative attitudes can be based on myths (Unger, 2002), misperceptions (Smart, 2001), stereotypes (Blanck, 1996), and fear (Diksa & Rogers, 1996, Peck & Kirkbride, 2001). These emotional responses can foster discrimination in the workplace and can contribute to unemployment and poor working conditions.

Reducing Unemployment

People with disabilities, arguably a minority population in the United States (Rubin & Roessler, 2001; Shapiro,...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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