Symposium on new directions in disability research: Work contexts, inclusivity, and wellbeing interactions

Abstract

This presenter symposium features four research studies on the workplace experiences of persons with disabilities, their coworkers, and organizations. These studies shed new light on the interaction between disability, work contexts, inclusivity, and the health and well-being of employees with disabilities, particularly the impact of stigmatizing versus more inclusive coworkers and environments. Collectively, these studies are thought- provoking as they highlight that (a) legislation may not always help employee groups given employee unawareness of legislation, or a self-serving bias such that employees think they understand their legal rights better than they actually do (b) perceptions of inclusion increase disability disclosure only when employees experience both a sense of belongingness and authenticity (c) supposedly diversity-friendly workplaces can damage the emotional well- being of employees by inflicting negative emotions in the workplace and (d) presence of certain disability groups within the organization can lead to feelings of moral elevation and engagement in prosocial behaviors for coworkers who do not have a disability.