Ableism and workplace discrimination among young adults with disabilities in the workforce: A systematic review

Objective(s): To systematically explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities.Data Sources: Systematic searches of seven databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, Healthstar, Psychinfo, Scopus, ERIC and Web of Science) from 2000 to 2021 were conducted. Four reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria and rated the study quality.Study Selection: Inclusion criteria involved: a sample of youth or young adults (mean age 29 years or less), had a disability, an empirical study involving at least one outcome related to discrimination or ableism in the workplace or while looking for work, published in a peer-reviewed journal from 2000-2021 (without language restrictions).Data Extraction: Data were extracted by the first author using a standardized template. Three authors reviewed the data for accuracy.Data Synthesis: Studies were synthesized following a narrative synthesis approach. Of the 39 studies meeting our inclusion criteria, they represented 516,281 participants across eight countries over a 20-year period. The findings highlight the rates of workplace ableism, factors affecting workplace ableism (i.e., type of disability, gender, education level, lack of employers’ knowledge about disability), ableism in job searching and anticipated ableism. The review also noted the impact of workplace ableism, which included pay discrimination, lack of job supports and social exclusion, job turnover and unemployment, and discrimination allegations and charges.

Conclusions: Our findings reveal the stark prevalence of workplace ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities. There is an urgent need for further in-depth research to understand youth’s lived experiences of ableism and the development of solutions to address it so they can be included in a meaningful and respectful way in the workplace.Author(s) Disclosures: none