ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To identify employee perceptions regarding disability-related workplace issues in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). PARTICIPANTS: Faculty and staff (N=1,144) at a large, Midwestern university. METHODS: A voluntary on-line survey of disability-related employment issues was developed by the university's Chancellor's Committee of Persons with Disabilities. Item responses were analyzed using descriptive and Pearson chi-square statistical methods. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of faculty and staff respondents were found to have disabilities, with 26% reporting experience of job discrimination, and 20% reporting harassment because of their disability. Results indicated significant differences on gender, employment standing (i.e., faculty or staff) and disability status (i.e., with or without a disability), in regard to perceptions of disability acceptance, campus accessibility, disability awareness, ADA policy, and knowledge of work accommodation procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for IHEs are provided to promote a welcoming and inclusive campus that ultimately supports work success for persons with a disability.
