Historically, employment rates for people with disabilities have been low. Despite legislation that prohibits the discrimination
of this group in work settings, employers are reluctant to hire people with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative
study was to explore the experiences of employers with workers with disabilities. Three focus groups were conducted with 21
administrators from three business sectors (i.e., healthcare, hospitality, and retail). Content analysis indicated five primary
themes: (1) importance of disability employment agencies and disability advocates; (2) persistence of manager bias; (3) lack
of promotion opportunities; (4) costs associated with having workers with disabilities; and (5) benefits associated with having
workers with disabilities. Implications include the need for intervention studies that address the challenges experienced
by individuals with disabilities, particularly during hiring and promoting phases of employment, and educational efforts to
inform administrators and managers of the few costs and numerous benefits associated with having workers with disabilities.
Key words workers with disabilities - employer attitudes