Enabling Employment: How Do Employer Disability Practices Affect Disability Employment Outcomes?

We use panel data from 235 firms from 2019-2023 to examine how disability-related practices affect disability employment outcomes, using a detailed annual survey of large US companies in the National Organization on Disability, which collectively employ 8.5 million workers. The practices include recruitment and inclusion strategies, disability promotion initiatives, accommodation and accessibility policies, support for disability groups and mentoring, and training for management and HR staff. We find that several practice categories favorably predict disability hiring, promotions, and exits, supporting the idea that employer policies and practices can make a substantial difference in employment opportunities for people with disabilities.