Some employers have concerns that disability would prevent employees from performing physically demanding tasks, which reveals employers’ under-appreciation for people with disabilities abilities and an overall lack of appreciation for the diverse nature of disabilities. Physical abilities of potential employees should only be considered more thoroughly if critical to job tasks.

Specific Qualification and Capability Concerns (Selection Concern #1)

Stereotypes held by employers include applicants lacking skills in general, with the stereotype content model showing the assumption that employees with disabilities are seen as high warmth but low competency and this not hirable. Large-scale government surveys on labor market characteristics such as the US 2006 General Social Survey reveal that there were no difference in people with disabilities and those without in terms of employability. Average differences that did emerge are attributed to levels of formal education, though unemployed individuals in both groups had relatively similar levels of educational attainment.

Broad Qualification and Capability Concerns (Selection Concern #1)

Employers make hiring decisions by assessing whether candidates fit the qualities demanded by the job. However, many employers believe that people with disabilities are incapable of doing even basic aspects of their responsibilities or believe that there is an overall lack of ability. There are two main categories of capability concerns: specific and broad.

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Once potential candidates have been identified, the hiring process moves to employee selections. The employee selection stage involves three major categories of employer concerns: the qualification of applicants with disabilities, the selection process for applicants with disabilities, and the cost of accomodations.

Employee Selection of Applicants with Disabilities

Bonaccio, S., Connelly, C. E., Gellatly, I. R., Jetha, A., &amp; Martin Ginis, K. A. (2019). The participation of people with disabilities in the workplace across the employment cycle: Employer concerns and research evidence. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35(2), 135–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9602-5 

The Participation of People with Disabilities in the Workplace Across the Employment Cycle: Employer Concerns and Research Evidence

Employers have a difficult time with applicants with disabilities who “complicate” the selection process as they feel like they cannot inquire about one’s disability or run the risk of saying the wrong thing about it.
Employers acknowledge the lack of necessary training and overall are unaware of selection best practices. 

Selection Concern #2: The Selection Process for Applicants with Disabilities

Selection Concern #1: The Qualification of Applicants With Disabilities 

Policies all over the world indicate the requirement for employees to provide accommodations given reasonable need. However, many employers still hold hesitations about the value of accommodations given the consideration of productivity benefits versus cost to business. These reservations are often overstated, as shown by conducted research depicting relatively low accommodation costs, if any, when needed. 

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