The Relationship of Selected Supply-and Demand-Side Factors to Forms of Perceived Discrimination Among Adults With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Single-predictor and stepwise multinomial logistic regression analyses and an external validation were completed on 3,082 allegations of employment discrimination by adults with multiple sclerosis. Women filed two thirds of the allegations, and individuals between 31 and 50 made the vast majority of discrimination charges (73%). Allegations occurred most frequently in industries with the largest number of employees (501 or more). Results of the single-predictor multinomial logistic regression analyses identified gender and company size as the two predictors, findings that were mirrored in the main effects model developed through the stepwise multinomial logistic regression analyses. Women were more likely than men to allege discrimination related to harassment and intimidation rather than to discharge. Workers in the smallest companies were less likely than workers in the largest companies to allege discrimination regarding reasonable accommodation, working conditions, or employment benefits and more likely to allege discrimination related to discharge. Cross-validation results provided mixed support for the main effects model.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990)

Balser, D. (2000). Perceptions of on-the-job discrimination and employees with disabilities. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 12(4), 179—197.

Batavia, A. , & Schriner, K. (2001). The Americans with Disabilities Act as engine of social change: Models of disability and the potential of a civil rights approach. Policy Studies Journal: the Journal of the Policy Studies Organization, 29, 690—702.

Beatty, W. , Blanco, C. , Wilbanks, S. , Paul, R. , & Hames, K. (1995). Demographic, clinical, and cognitive characteristics of multiple sclerosis patients who continue to work. Journal of Neurologic Rehabilitation, 9(3), 167—193

Blanck, P. (2004). Stories about Americans with disabilities and their civil rights. The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, 8, 1—30.

Blanck, P. , Schur, L. , Kruse, D. , Schwochau, S. , & Song, C. (2003). Calibrating the impact of the ADA's employment provisions. Stanford Law & Policy Review, 14(2), 267—290.

Buys, N. , & Renne, J. (2001). Developing relationships between vocational rehabilitation agencies and employers. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin , 44, 95—103.

Chatterjee, L. , & Mitra, M. (1998). Evolution of federal and state policies for persons with disability in the United States: Efficiency and welfare impacts. The Annals of Regional Science, 32, 347—365.

Cohen, D. , & Shields, D. (2005, March). Presidential initiatives: Using technology to increase employment of people with disabilities. Paper presented at the Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference , California State University, Northridge, CA.

10.

Dawis, R. (2002). Person-environment congruence theory. In D. Brown & Associates (Eds.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 427—464). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

11.

Dawis, R. (2005). The Minnesota theory of work adjustment. In S. Brown and R. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling (pp. 3—23). New York: Wiley.

12.

Devins, G. , & Shnek, Z. (2000). Multiple sclerosis. In R. Frank and T. Elliott (Eds.), Handbook of rehabilitation psychology (pp. 163—184). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .

13.

D'Zurilla, T. , & Nezu, A. (1999). Problem-solving therapy. New York: Springer.

14.

Endicott, S. (2005, March). Workplace accommodations. Paper presented at the Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, California State University, Northridge, CA.

15.

Gilbride, D. , & Stensrud, R. (2003). Job placement and employer consulting: Services and strategies. In E. Szymanski & R. Parker (Eds.), Work and disability (2nd ed., pp. 407—440). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

16.

Gilbride, D. , Stensrud, R. , Vandergoot, D. , & Golden, K. (2003). Identification of the characteristics of work environments and employers open to hiring and accommodating people with disabilities . Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 46, 130—137.

17.

Gordon, P. , Feldman, D. , Shipley, B. , & Weiss, L. (1997). Employment issues and knowledge regarding ADA of persons with multiple sclerosis. Journal of Rehabilitation , 63(4), 52—58.

18.

Griffin, B. , & Hesketh, B. (2005). Counseling for work adjustment. In S. Brown & R. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 483—505). New York: John Wiley.

19.

Head, L. , & Baker, P. (2005, March). Workplace accommodations and ADA Title I: Policy and the metrics of “reasonable.” Paper presented at the Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference , California State University, Northridge, CA.

20.

Hernandez, B. , Keys, C. , & Balcazar, F. (2000). Employer attitudes toward workers with disabilities and their ADA employment rights: A literature review. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66(4), 4—16.

21.

Hosmer, D. , & Lemeshow, S. (2000). Applied logistic regression (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.

22.

Kornblith, A. , LaRocca, N. , & Baum, H. (1986). Employment in individuals with multiple sclerosis . International Journal of Rehabilitation, 9, 155—163.

23.

LaRocca, N. (1995). Employment and multiple sclerosis. New York: National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

24.

LaRocca, N. , Kalb, R. , Scheinberg, L. , & Kendall, P. (1985). Factors associated with unemployment of patients with multiple sclerosis. Journal of Chronic Disabilities, 38, 203—210.

25.

Levy, J. , Jessop, D. , Rimmerman, A. , Francis, F. , & Levy, P. (1993). Determinants of attitudes of New York State employers towards the employment of persons with severe handicaps. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59(1), 49—54.

26.

Livneh, H. , & Antonak, R. (1997). Psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen .

27.

Meier, K. , Pennington, M. , & Eller, W. (2005). Race, sex, and Clarence Thomas: Representation change in the EEOC. Public Administration Review, 65(2), 171—179.

28.

Millington, M. , Miller, D. , Asner-Self, K. , & Linkowski, D. (2003). The business perspective on employers, disability, and vocational rehabilitation. In E. Szymanski & R. Parker (Eds.), Work and disability (2nd ed., pp. 317—342). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

29.

Monti, P. , Damaris, D. , Abrams, D. , Zwick, W. , Binkoff, J. , Munroe, S. , et al. (1993). Development of a behavior analytically derived alcohol-specific role play assessment instrument. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 54, 710—721.

30.

Moore, C. (1998). Understanding voluntary employee turnover within the new workplace paradigm: A test of an integrated model. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Claremont Graduate University.

31.

National Organization on Disability. (1998 ). 1998 N.O.D./Harris survey. Washington, DC: Author.

32.

National Organization on Disability. (2002 ). 2002 N.O.D./Harris survey. Washington, DC: Author.

33.

National Organization on Disability. (2004 ). 2004 N.O.D./Harris survey. Washington, DC: Author.

34.

O'Day, B. (1998). Barriers for people with multiple sclerosis who want to work: A qualitative study. Journal of Neurologic Rehabilitation , 12, 139—146.

35.

O'Hara, B. (2004). Employment discrimination against women with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 15(1), 27—34.

36.

Osius, G. , & Rojek, D. (1992). Normal goodness-of-fit tests for multinomial models with large degrees of freedom. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 87, 1145—1152.

37.

Rao, S. , Leo, G. , Ellington, L. , Nauertz, T. , Bernardin, L. , & Unverzagt, F. (1991). Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. Neurology, 41, 692—696.

38.

Roessler, R. (2004). The illness intrusiveness model: Rehabilitation implications. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling , 35(3), 22—27.

39.

Roessler, R. , Fitzgerald, S. , Rumrill, P. , & Koch, L. (2001). Determinants of employment status among people with multiple sclerosis. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin , 45(1), 31—39.

40.

Roessler, R. , Rumrill, P. , Hennessey, M. , Vierstra, C. , Pugsley, E. , & Pittman, A. (2003). Perceived strengths and weaknesses in employment policies and services among people with multiple sclerosis: Results of a national survey. Work (Reading, Mass.), 21, 25—36.

41.

Roessler, R. , Rumrill, P. , & Fitzgerald, S. (2004). Predictors of employment status for people with multiple sclerosis. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 47, 96—103.

42.

Rumrill, P. (1996). Employment issues and multiple sclerosis. New York: Demos.

43.

Rumrill, P. , & Hennessey, P. (2001). Multiple sclerosis: A guide for rehabilitation and health care professionals. Springfield, IL: Thomas.

44.

Rumrill, R. , Roessler, R. , & Koch, L. (1999). Surveying the employment concerns of people with multiple sclerosis: A participatory action research approach. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 12, 75—82.

45.

Rumrill, P. , Roessler, R. , McMahon, B. , & Fitzgerald, S. (in press). Multiple sclerosis and workplace discrimination: The National EEOC ADA Research Project. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.

46.

Salomone, P. , & O'Connell, K. (1998). The impact of disability on the career development of people with multiple sclerosis. Journal of Career Development , 25(1), 65—81.

47.

Savickas, M. (2005). The theory and practice of career construction . In S. Brown & R. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling (pp. 3—23). New York: Wiley .

48.

Schramm, J. , & Burke, M. (2004). Workplace forecast: A strategic outlook. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management .

49.

Schur, L. , Kruse, D. , & Blanck, P. (2005). Corporate culture and the employment of persons with disabilities. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 23, 3—20.

50.

Smith, T. , Bellack, A. , & Liberman, R. (1996). Social skills training for schizophrenia: review and future directions. Clinical Psychology Review, 16, 599—617.