Disabling misperceptions? How employees (D)evaluate the labor force participation of people with disabilities

We analyze how employees perceive and evaluate the integration of people with disabilities into the German labor market. In an experimental complement to the Employment Survey by the German Federal Institutes for Vocational Training and Occupational Safety and Health, we ask respondents to estimate the labor force participation rates of persons with and without disabilities. We then inform a subsample about the actual gap between the rates. Regardless of having a disability, respondents are aware of a participation gap, share similar beliefs about its causes, and rate integration as less advanced when they are informed about a larger gap than expected. The largest differences exist in perceptions of the size of the gap and policy preferences: Respondents with disabilities perceive a smaller gap and are more in favor of integrative policies than those without disabilities.