Employers' attitudes toward workers with disabilities in Japan

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Omori, Takahide^{; ;} | Tomiyasu, Yoshikazu

Affiliations: Faculty of Letters, Department of Psychology, Keio University, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: omori@characin.flet.keio.ac.jp.

Note: [] This scale was constructed by the method of equal-appearing intervals with judgments of 37 employment specialists working in research or practice in supported employment, using a statement list made by persons who were concerned in services for people with disabilities including persons with disabilities themselves.

Abstract: Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted with 119 employers in private companies and public agencies in Japan to assess employers' attitudes toward workers with disabilities by the Scale of Attitudes toward Workers with Disabilities. The results indicated that Japanese employers had favorable attitudes toward the employment of persons with disabilities in general. Japanese employers also had three distinctive characteristics: (a) they think it more difficult and expensive to hire persons with disabilities; (b) they think that working is not good for persons with severe disabilities; and (c) they do not respect the economic effects of the employment of persons with disabilities. It was also found that current employment of persons with disabilities has positive effects on the general attitudes of the employers.

Keywords: Employment, Employer's attitudes, Attitude scale

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-1998-11202

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 103-112, 1998