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The Complex Nature of Disability Stigma in Employment: Impact on Access and Opportunity

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Stigmas, Work and Organizations

Part of the book series: Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma ((PAEWS))

Abstract

In the United States, individuals with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of the American population, but they are unemployed at a rate that is twice that of people without disabilities (Erickson et al., Disability statistics from the 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang Tan Institute (YTI), 2016). There are multiple interacting factors that result in significant barriers to employment and many of them are related to disability stigma and resulting disparate behavior. This chapter will examine the complexity of disability stigma in employment by exploring it from the micro (individual), mesa (employers), and meta (society) levels. It is at the intersection of these levels where strategies can lead to a reduction of barriers in organizational access and opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

The original version of this chapter was revised.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_13

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA

    Rebecca S. Dalgin Ph.D.

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  1. Rebecca S. Dalgin Ph.D.
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    S. Bruce Thomson

  2. University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Gina Grandy

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Dalgin, R.S. (2018). The Complex Nature of Disability Stigma in Employment: Impact on Access and Opportunity. In: Thomson, S., Grandy, G. (eds) Stigmas, Work and Organizations . Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_4

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