The experiences of persons with disability in the recruitment process

Abstract

The recruitment process serves as a gateway for any person seeking to attain gainful employment. This is also true for people with disabilities. The Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act (Chapter 413 of the Laws of Malta) prohibits any type of discrimination by an employer against employees or potential future employees based on disability (Reitz, 2007). However, employers’ attitudes still have a significant effect on how they perceive people with disability, and their willingness to potentially employ them, even in the future. The purpose of the study was to get a deeper knowledge of the difficulties faced by people with disability during the recruitment process. Therefore, in-depth, face to face interviews with disabled people were utilised. The study was not focused on one specific type of disability but on a variety of impairments, so as to analyse the diverse experiences of people with different disabilities. Results indicate that the participants find it hard to gain full credibility from the employer, which is in direct contrast to the qualifications and abilities that they possess. Employers tend to not believe in their potential and consequently do not hire them, or else allow themselves to be overcome by their fears and concerns. Moreover, employers create barriers and reject people with disability by thinking that they would not be able to do the job properly. Additionally, results illustrate the various barriers that people with disability encounter, specifically in relation to the lack of accessibility at the workplaces. Suggestions and conclusions based on the findings are discussed. Additionally a number of recommendations are proposed, including a shift in employer’s mentality through better education and knowledge on disability, better and improved accessibility, developed political action to continue achieving the inclusion of people with disability, along with others.