Employment integration barriers: experiences of people with disabilities

Abstract

People with disabilities experience barriers in the integration phase of employment. The aim of this article was to examine the experiences of people with disabilities relating to job application forms and advertisements, interviews, confidentiality and disclosure of disability, as well as medical and psychometric testing. Qualitative data on the barriers experienced were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 72 people with differing disabilities in South Africa. Findings showed that despite progressive legislation, people with disabilities experience barriers in the integration phase of employment. To prevent barriers to employment, advertisements, application forms, interview venues and interview questions need to be accessible and appropriate for people with disabilities. In addition, the selection criteria and medical and psychometric testing used need to be appropriate and non-discriminatory. Insights from this qualitative article can assist in preventing employment integration barriers. This in turn will have an influence on human resource managers’ hiring of people with disabilities, employers’ meeting their employment equity targets, being viewed as an employer of choice who values diversity and having productive employees and a low staff turnover.