Special issue: corporate culture and disability

Abstract

Researchers, policymakers, business leaders, and the disability community must engage in meaningful dialogue about the examination of disability rights law and policy in general, and the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 for persons with disabilities and their families and employers in particular. In June of 2004, a Blue Ribbon Panel meeting was convened to help address these issues. The meeting was hosted by Merrill Lynch, at their world headquarters in New York City, and co-sponsored by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities, at the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center of the University of Iowa College of Law. 2 The purpose of the symposium was twofold: (1) to increase dialogue among corporations, persons with disabilities, policymakers, and researchers; and (2) to enhance study of corporate culture and the employment of persons with disabilities. Included in the symposium round-table discussions were experts on corporate culture and disability studies, corporate leaders, government representatives, and members of the disability community and their families. Peter Blanck moderated the symposium discussion. Papers were prepared for the symposium from leading experts and distributed to the panel and audience to focus the discussion. Those papers form the core of this special issue. Understanding the impact of civil rights legislation such as the ADA on the corporate culture and business practice is critical to employers and policymakers, as well as employees with disabilities (Blanck, Hill, Siegal, & Waterstone, 2003). Similar to other diversity issues that corporations have addressed to their benefit, employment of persons with disabilities is an important issue to many stakeholders. Researchers have studied a continuum of employment settings for persons with disabilities, from