Employment of persons with physical disabilities: a phenomenological exploration of employer and employee perspectives

Purpose Persons with disabilities constitute world’s largest minority group, but they continue to receive limited academic attention in the workplace context when most organisations are striving to implement inclusive employment practices. Evaluating the perspectives of both the employers and persons with disabilities offers a novel and comprehensive understanding of this issue and helps in designing informed and effective Human Resources (HR) strategies. Design/methodology/approach We studied lived experiences of persons with disabilities and the employers by applying interpretive (Heideggerian) phenomenological techniques. Seventeen employees with physical disabilities and 15 employers were interviewed to uncover the inherent meanings each individual assigned to various barriers and facilitators of employment. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. Findings Persons with disabilities reported a persistent need to prove their professional worth impacting their psychological safety. They also felt being perceived as less intellectually capable. Employers expressed discomfort initiating open dialogue, focused on legal adherence and financial limitations, often unaware of the psychological impact. Social events were experienced as non-inclusive, while employers attributed lack of social cohesion to physical barriers. Practical implications This study develops an employer-ability framework for practitioners. Originality/value It is an in-depth study focussing specifically on the distinct category of physical disability. The study breaks new ground by drawing on the dual perspective of both the employees and employers. We have taken a novel approach of interpretive phenomenological technique, an analytic lens that is often absent in disability workplace research which leans more towards quantitative methods.