9 Managers’ Reactions to Job Applicants and Employees with Disabilities

Employers frequently hold misconceptions and negative attitudes towards job applicants and employees with disabilities. In this chapter, we review the literature on manager reactions to individuals with disabilities during three key stages of the employment cycle of individuals with disabilities: recruitment and selection, the provision of accommodations, and performance management. We consider the organizational context, in particular organizational size and climate, diversity policies and support from senior leadership as important contextual factors that may shape managers’ behaviors and attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. We end the chapter by presenting future research opportunities to guide further study in this important area of inquiry.