Companies are increasingly strategizing on how to reduce all kinds of bias in the workplace, including those related to disabled people. Despite empirical evidence to the contrary, perceptions remain that disabled employees are less competent, less productive, require more supervision, and are more expensive and more dependent, which results in lower levels of both employment and promotion.
However, disabilities are not a single entity, nor is the bias uniform across people or situations. For example, research suggests that disabilities categorized as “invisible” (including psychological and neurological) encounter more stigma than “visible” disabilities (such as amputations and paralysis). Although there has been a growing awareness and conscious effort to destigmatize mental health disabilities in recent years, tremendous bias still exists with consequences for employment, income, and levels of stress. In addition, research suggests that disabled women face even harsher penalties.
While disability studies often focus on bias at the level of employment or promotion decisions, the lived experiences of disabled employees also involve biases on the job. One context in which this can unfold is in professional negotiations.
https://hbr.org/2024/11/research-the-stigma-disabled-people-face-during-negotiations?ab=HP-hero-latest-image-1