Disability Disqualifies: A Vignette Experiment on Danish Employers’ Intentions to Hire Applicants with Physical Disabilities

Abstract

The disability and employment literature identifies different factors thought to have an impact on hiring decisions. These factors are identified by surveying employers but have never been tested. Based on a vignette experiment with Danish employers using five different descriptions of a fictitious job applicant, this study examines the intentions of employers to hire a physically disabled applicant and whether financial compensation, public employment service recommendations, and the prospect of increased workload, influence such intentions. Results show that employers’ intentions regarding hiring drop significantly when they receive a description of an applicant who uses a wheelchair. Adding information regarding the opportunity to apply for financial compensation to the description increases such intentions slightly. This implies that disability in and of itself is a disqualifying factor and that the intended recruitment practise is discriminatory.

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