ABSTRACT
The issue of workplace discrimination resulting from disability has not received nearly as much attention in the psychological literature as other forms of discrimination. There are many reasons for this lack of attention ranging from the recency of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) compared to other civil rights legislation, to problems with defining what actually constitutes a disability in both the legal and behavioral sense. However, it is particularly imperative that we work to better understand disability discrimination in the workplace given what little change there has been in the employment status of persons with disabilities since the advent of the ADA (Wells, 2001). In this chapter we examine what work has been done and what major issues still remain to be addressed in future research. Behavioral research on disability discrimination has grown since the passage of the ADA, has become more systematic, and is more relevant to employment issues. Yet, our review underscores the point that there is still a long way to go until we can gain a workable understanding of the psychological aspects of disability discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this chapter is to help guide that research.
