Unintended Consequences of State and Federal Antidiscrimination and Family Medical Leave Legislation on the Employment Rates of Persons With Disabilities
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online April, 2008
Unintended Consequences of State and Federal Antidiscrimination and Family Medical Leave Legislation on the Employment Rates of Persons With Disabilities
Although some writers have suggested that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), contrary to its intent, was responsible for a decline in employment for persons with disabilities, there is little strong empirical support for such an assertion. This study is an attempt to demonstrate that, in fact, the dismal labor market experience following passage of the ADA was an unintended consequence of other factors—namely, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and similar state legislation—even though such legislation was not originally meant as disability legislation . A time-series design using data from the Current Population Survey supports this contention (p < .05). Numerous implications for rehabilitation counselors, educators, and researchers are discussed.
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