The Relationship Between the Accessible Convenient Facilities and Employment of the Disabled

As Korean government has enacted 'Act on the Guarantee of Promotion of Convenience of Persons with Disabilities, elderly people, and pregnant women' in 1997, people have gradually recognized importance of equal access to facilities, equipment, and information for people with disabilities. Various efforts to ensure equal human rights and equal access for them have been implemented. In particular independent life and social participation is one of the important issues. Providing work accommodation and accessible environment to enable people with disabilities to work in the workplace can be seen as a prerequisite for their employments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the state of workplace accommodation for the disabled, to investigate the effects of convenient and accessible facilities on the employment of the disabled, and to examine the effect of facilities on employment. Based on the survey data on the employment status of the disabled in 2023, we focused on the actual condition and consciousness of convenient facilities according to the characteristics of companies and the installation of the convenience facilities on the number of workers with disabilities. Regression analysis was conducted to examine effects of the convenient facilities on employments using company characteristics and welfare systems as control variables. The regression analysis showed that the degree of convenience facilities was significant indicators for employment for the disabled. As a result of the survey in 2023, it is noteworthy that installation rate of accessible and convenient facilities for the people with disability has increased significantly compared to 2016. Results of the regression analysis prove that the degree of installation of the facilities for disabled persons is positively associated with the number of workers in the organizations. It was found that the effect of increasing employment of the disabled becomes consistent as the level of accessible convenient facilities increases.