Equal Employment for the Physically Challenged Employees in Atlanta

¶ … Economic Motivators for Employers on Employment Rates for People With Disabilities in Atlanta Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Definition of Disability Statistics for Individuals with Disabilities Effects Of ADA On Persons With Disabilities Economic Motivators for Employers Hiring People with Disabilities Factors Affecting Economic Motivators for Employers Lack of Information and Knowledge Regarding Economic Motivators Misconception about Individuals with Disabilities Inaccessible Hiring Strategies Conflicts with Existing Programs Lack of Appropriate Planning and Difficulties in implementations Economic Incentive Programs Unemployment Among People with Disabilities Summary Conclusion CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY Introduction Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Research Design Variables Selection of Participants Complete description of the Research Participants Type of Sampling Instrumentation 50 Reliability 52 Validity 53 Appropriateness/rationale for use in the study 53 Ethical Consideration 54 Data Analysis 55 Qualitative Research Analysis 55 Quantitative Research Analysis 57 The Researcher's Role 58 Credibility 58 Dependability 58 Transferability 58 Conformability 59 Conclusion 59 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS 60 Introduction 60 Restatement of Study Purpose 60 Demographic Information of Study Sample 61 Section 2: The Primary, Secondary and Third Themes for Each Research Question 61 Section 3: Triangulation and Convergence, Corroboration, Correspondence of Qualitative and Quantitative Data 62 Qualitative Findings 63 Survey and Verbatim Responses to Interview Questions for the 4 Qualitative Research Questions 63 Quantitative Findings 65 Descriptive Statistics 65 Display Data 65 Mean 71 Standard Deviation 72 Analysis 73 Charts 75 Tables 84 Inferential Statistics 85 Hypothesis testing 85 Results 86 Discussion 89 Interpretation of results 89 Summary 90 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 93 Introduction 93 Summary of Previous Chapters 94 Summary of Findings 96 Discussion 97 Analysis of the Findings 98 Comparison with Literature Review 98 Addition to Literature Review 99 Limitations 100 Recommendations 101 Increased Awareness 101 Job Hiring Training 101 Role of the Leader 102 Awareness amongst the Disabled 103 Follow-up Studies 103 Conclusion 104 REFERENCES 106 CHAPTER I: THE PROBLEM Introduction According to U.S.

statistics, about one out of every five people in Atlanta are disabled and one out of every three are completely disabled. During the principal employable years, 70% of people in Atlanta without disability have employment or a corporate equated with 67% of those with a less infirmity and 30% of those whose disability is bad (Bagenstos, 2010). The occupation rate of persons with infirmities remained constant in the 1980s in spite of a steady economy and effective landmark statute.

With the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the physically challenged people were free from any victimization. Today, the employment rate for persons with disabilities is still improving (Bagenstos, 2010). The unemployed rate of persons with disabilities is a major factor that determines the economic status of a nation.

According to Budget (2005), every year, the local governments in Atlanta spend more resources to sustain persons with disabilities than it uses to assist them acquire employment opportunities and the low-slung work rate of persons with disabilities assumption is that it will cost Atlanta's budget more than $2,500 billion per annum. Several individuals in Atlanta have debated that the ADA has had the conflict of its proposed outcome and really dispirited the hiring of persons with incapacities.

The outlook that human resource specialists have towards the ADA and what human resource experts believe are the finest ways to recover the hiring of persons with disabilities. The effort corporations put into employing persons with disabilities is what this research handles. It provides an awareness of the causes and ways of solving the problems in Atlanta (Budget, 2005). Problem Background According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (2010) human resource experts' familiarity differs considerably for the different employer incentives for employing persons with disabilities.

They, however, know a lot regarding the Veterans Job Training Act, Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. This is why they have less information regarding the disabled. The size of the corporate also determines the information they have in regard to disability and the employers incentives. Small organizations prefer to maintain a low profile and avoid employing a disabled person. Most organizations do not involve themselves with the employers' incentives because they simply do not distinguish the advantage of it.

They blame the local government of Atlanta for not giving quality incentives in order to motivate the organizations to employ disabled people. According to OECD (2003), the government should increase the incentives in order to attract more organizations including small firms. Top global companies also contribute to the low rate of unemployment of the persons with disabilities. The control big market shares enjoy the benefit of strong competitive advantage and qualified personnel. They should lead by example by increasing the rate of employment of the persons with disabilities.

In essence, they became role models for their subordinate staffs and other emerging companies. This study proposes that economic incentives from employer's rates for people with disabilities are unfamiliar to HR specialists and most corporations. Improved use of economic motivators and the enhancement of the employment rate for persons with disabilities possibly transpire if there is efficiency in the distribution of economic incentives (Roessler, 2002). Improving the hiring of persons with disabilities is not just through the availability of Atlanta's incentive plans; announcement of these plans must be flawless and operative.

For instance, HR specialists to identify the necessity for top management and show the rest the way out and tell them the importance of ethics. According to OECD (2012), improving the hiring of persons with disabilities involves forming a friendly atmosphere. This does not mean firms have to suffer large expenses for equitable adjustments. Most adjustments often purpose to improve the rate of employment for the disabled persons and are less costly.

Even though creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is essential, the organization must ensure that these people enjoy equity and all other health and employment benefits. This involves aggregating the compassion and awareness of all workers towards those with disabilities. Human resource specialists in this study also indicated that firms in Atlanta employ a very small effort to recruit persons with disabilities. Increasing employing efforts to influence foundations of qualified persons with disabilities will escalate the chance to work (OECD, 2012).

Many firms are available to support employers and HR specialists in gaining access to the talented persons. The ADA has had a diversifying influence on the work of persons with disabilities in Atlanta. On the one hand, it has formed the need for firms to ponder competent persons with disabilities for work. HR specialists come to a consensus that the ADA did have an affirmative influence on hiring persons with disabilities.

Generally, the ADA has formed an insight that firms may suffer legal defies if they fail to employ persons with disabilities. HR specialists must come into consensus with the actualities of the regulations, but pledge fears with facts. According to UNECE Ministries Conference on Ageing (2008) current research on disability regulation cases revealed that, 85% of the resolutions were satisfactory to the employer, from either immediate verdict or the benefits of the situation.

Furthermore, later Supreme Court cases have advanced explanations on intricate law, making it simpler for HR specialists apply it in their firms. It will necessitate many tactics and the resourcefulness and sponsorship of top organization and HR specialists in Atlanta.

In view of this, are employer motivators increasing employment rates for people with disabilities? With the efforts of economic motivators are employers taking advantage of incentives accessible to them when they hire persons with disabilities? Purpose of the Study The government is making possible in persuading organizations to incorporate persons with disabilities in their work environments. As OECD (2003) asserts, regardless of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is still a high rate of unemployment for people with disabilities.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in partnership with the, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF) and Wichita State University (WSU) together conducted a research to get information on the reduced recruitment rate for persons with disabilities. The principal emphasis of the research was to find out how familiar employers are concerning various state incentives for hiring persons with disabilities. The purpose of this Mixed study was to examine Economic Motivators for Employers on Employment Rates for People with Disabilities in Atlanta.

Moreover, the study sought to find out how many firms really appreciate employer incentives and who in the firms make policies about implementing them. A minor focus of the research was to evaluate employers' outlooks and sentiments concerning the effect of the ADA on the hiring of persons with disabilities, decide on the amount of effort firms spend on hiring persons with disabilities and benefit from understanding the top managements' special involvements with disabilities.

The research examined the ideas of employers on how best to mend the hiring of persons with disabilities. The research design for this dissertation was mixed research method. This involved the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Creswell (2009) stated that mixed method encourages pragmatic worldview and collection of both quantitative and qualitative data sequentially. Mixed research method will enhance the validity and reliability of the study because it provides the researcher opportunities to pursue a more detailed analysis of the research topic.

Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework in this study is constructed on Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs and is well established. Maslow proposed that unless the basic lower needs of the human being were met that the human would not even acknowledge the higher level needs. According to Roessler (2002) human resource managers can use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to motivate their employees in several ways.

Physiological needs are associated with the physical well-being of an individual such as the need for food, shelter medical care, insurance disability assistance and most importantly an income. Managers can offer employees training, and education that can help employees improve all psychological levels improve in their jobs (Roessler, 2002). Maslow conceptualized this hierarchy as shown in the following illustration.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs Figure 1.1 Source: Personality & Spirituality (2012) The bottom level is comprised of the short-term basic individual or physiological needs of the person, which include food, water, warmth, and sex. The second level is comprised of safety needs including security, stability, and order. The third level is representative of the individual's needs for social affiliation or love and belonging. The fourth level is the need for esteem or the need to be recognized among social groups and peers.

The next to the top level is that of self-actualization which is the individual's desire for deeper fulfillment through the realization of their full potential as a human being. Finally, the level at the very top of the pyramid is that of self-transcendence or the experience of being in the unit and serving that, which extends beyond the individual self. Maslow noted that the individual who while studying who is operating at the level of self-actualization experience peaks in learning.

This are described as profound and life-altering and moments that once experienced are sought again and again. The individual is therefore motivated by these experiences. Maslow's need hierarchy provides the theoretical framework to understand human motivation and incentives in many settings. Maslow proposed many changes in business management in order to make workplaces more responsive to the needs of workers. He called his ideas "eupsychian management," emphasizing the potential for human growth in the workplace (Roessler, 2002).

The theoretical framework in this study involves the use of Maslow's hierarchy applied to the 3M model (Roessler, 2002). Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs The 3M Model Mastery Maturity Match Figure 1.2 Qualitative Research Questions 1. What level of knowledge do senior managers have pertaining to employer motivators for employing persons with disabilities? 2. How much are employer motivators for hiring individuals with disabilities used in organizations? 3. What do senior managers believe are the most effective recommendations for improving the employment of persons with disabilities? 4.

How does the American Disabilities Act (ADA) support the employment of individuals with disabilities? Quantitative Research Questions 5. Is there a significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? 6. Is there a significant relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and employment of the disabled persons? 7.

Is there a significant relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta? Hypothesis RQ5: Is there a significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? H0: There is no significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? H1: There is a significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? RQ6: Is there a significant relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and employment of the disabled persons? H0: There is no significant relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and employment of the disabled persons? H1: There is a significant relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and employment of the disabled persons? RQ7: Is there a significant relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta? H0: There is no significant relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta.

H1: There is a significant relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta Definition of Terms The disabled are people who have some incapacity. Economic incentives are benefits group of person obtain when they meet certain conditions. Americans with Disability Act (ADA) are for helping disabled people get employment easily just as normal people do. Limitations and Delimitations Limitations The potential source of limitation to the study is evident in the method of data collection which is self-reporting.

The accuracy of self-reporting sensitive information is sometimes questionable. This is because social desirability response bias occur when respondents provide answers that they think are socially or officially acceptable (Knight et al., 1998; Miller & Peyton, 2006). Another source of limitation to the study is the sample size which is not an adequate representation of all disabled employers in the Atlanta general population. This limitation could affect the conclusion and generalization of the study.

Delimitations One of the delimitations to the dissertation is this study will be confined only to the Atlanta metropolitan area. The uniqueness of this study within a specific context makes it difficult to replicate exactly in another context (Creswell, 2003). Many other studies describe all workers and the general population and this research intends to complement rather than reproduce existing information. Participants' responses will be the reflection of, and confined to their personal experiences with their current employer in Atlanta metropolitan city.

Significance of the Study There are relatively few empirical studies on examining the economic motivators for the hiring of disabled persons. Similarly, there is also sparse research on the evaluation of the knowledge by employers of economic motivators for the hiring of individuals with disabilities. .The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the biggest movement whose dedication is human resource administration. On behalf of more than 180,000 distinct members, the movement's vision is to help the requirements of HR specialists by availing the most critical and ample means available (OECD, 2012).

As a prominent voice, the movement's vision is also to develop the human means vocation to certify that HR acknowledged as an important partner in evolving and implementing firm's plans. Started in 1948, SHRM presently has more than 1000 associate sections in the United States and followers in more than 150 countries. The Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation, started in 1972 by John F.

"Jack" Jonas Jr., is a charitable firm situated in Wichita, whose task is to offer persons with disabilities modified services, funds and skills, focusing on hiring and implementing decisions, to simplify their designated financial and individual freedom (OECD, 2012). The University of Texas founded in 1969 enrolls more than 11,000 students. It is the third biggest part of the University of Texas Organization, and one of the federation's quickest increasing communal universities (Bagenstos, 2010).

The University of Texas offers 78 bachelor's doctorates, and master degree courses, and with another doctorate course in the development phases is quickly moving towards an arrangement of being a doctor-providing organization (Bagenstos, 2010). Wichita State University, which was first as a College, currently has a membership of more than 14,000 students. It has more than 50 undergraduate degree courses in more than 100 areas of scholarship in more than five undergraduate institutions.

The Graduate College has a wide package including more than 40 master's degrees, with chapters in more than 50 areas and degrees in doctorate in the sciences, communicative disorders, clinical psychology, mathematics, chemistry, clinical psychology, and educational administration (OECD, 2003). Disabled persons are human beings, and it is, therefore, important to give them the same opportunities as any other person living in Atlanta. In doing this, the government implements strict rules regarding the issues affecting the employed but disabled persons.

The ratio should be the same as that of women in the job industry. Women in Atlanta are fighting so hard to acquire similar opportunities in the organizations. They want equity in their respective working positions. This opportunity should be available to the disabled people with the same qualifications as normal persons. As long as they exhibit work competence, allowing them to enjoy equality, as the normal people is the best way forward.

This means giving them everything they require at work in order for them to be just as comfortable as the normal people are. The organizational culture adjustments are important in that they ensure that the workforce knows how to react to some situations in the organization. The organizational culture defines how the workforce will react to certain matters. If the top management creates a good environment for the disabled people, the rest of the workforce will respect the disabled employees and this reduces conflicts in work.

According to Great Britain, (1999) economic incentives for employers on employment rates for persons with disabilities are significant because organizations need to incorporate every person in the company. The communication of these incentives is still ineffective because very few organizations know about them. This research outcome concluded that very little information is available on the advantages of the employer incentives. There are several incentives for the employers each with its benefits.

The employers should, therefore, find more information about the incentives in order to decide on the ones to take advantage of them. However, the government should not only give the employers incentives but to pass a law where every employer should have a fixed number of disabled employees in the company depending on its size. This will install fear in employees making the number of jobless disabled increase.

The number of dependents in Atlanta will also reduce because most of the disabled will be able to take care of themselves financially. The dissertation will seek to contribute to the body of knowledge about economic motivators to employers for hiring disabled workers. The research findings may provide knowledge and awareness employers' perceptions of the economic motivators available for the hiring of disabled individuals.

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction A literature review is a text body that offers an analysis of the major points of present knowledge that includes methodological and theoretical contributions to a given topic. This section assesses the available literature from intellectuals, professionals and researchers in the field of business management and other related fields. The chapter provides a general idea of the inquest, and it involves the information from researchers, professionals and academics regarding the effectiveness of economic incentives for employers hiring individuals with disabilities.

The review assesses the increased rate of unemployment among individuals with disabilities despite the government efforts to establish work incentives programs for both employers and employees with disabilities. This review contributed to the research examining the economic motivators for employers to employ employees with disabilities. The review assesses the effectiveness of economic motivators for employees with disabilities in the U.S., but with a specific focus on Atlanta, Georgia. Definition of Disability According to Barnow (2008), disability is an intricate idea than employment.

Richard Burknauser and Andrew Houtenville assert that disability is a controversial idea to measure and define. Adler Michele demonstrated that Federal programs utilize a wide range of definitions of disability. Conventionally, disabilities entails as senses, body, or mind characteristics that affect an individual's capacity to engage independently in all or some facts of daily life (United States Department of Health and Human resources, 2004). In the recent past, there has been increasing debate on the description of disability.

The United States Census recognizes that descriptions of disability changes with time and these definitions have experienced shifts in the past thirty years. Given that the description of disability differs, gathering of statistics related to disabilities relies on the objective of which it is used for, and the study that collects the information. The U.S. Census of 2000 definition of disability entailed an affirmative reaction (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Four categories were involved which included mobility, employment disability, difficulties with overall life activities and mental disability.

However, Singh & Creamer (2010) assert that there is a need to have a standard definition of disability to allow researchers to gather proper information required to measure the notion of disability. According to Ferguson Career Resource (2009), statistics on individuals with disabilities are offered through scores of government agencies whose requirements for data are directed and compelled through their respective administrative requirements. Therefore, agencies do not provide collectively or individually a consistently applied, broadly accepted definition of disability.

Among the general-purpose statistical agencies concerned with disability measurement, a collectively accepted, reliable definition of disability for evaluation and planning purpose lacks. The disintegration of information on individuals with disabilities, therefore, mirrors numerous legislative directives for different programs with different purposes, a lack of agreement on a functional definition and information needs governing different data gathering efforts (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003).

Statistics for Individuals with Disabilities Over the last twenty-five years, a segment of the American society has come forward after being forgotten and invisible because they could not gain access to public spaces. With better legislation and new technologies, this has started to improve (Ferguson Career Resource Guide, 2009). Presently people with disabilities are getting involved in the society in the sense that they can attend school, utilize the internet and other types of technologies and more importantly, they can remain as active members of the labor-force.

As people with disabilities speak up, the society is reminded of its call to stop the old stereotype of being taken care of and move toward the concept of self-determination and independence. Satisfying these requirements, calls for access to data regarding assistive technologies and about organizations that can assist individuals with disabilities to take their places as productive and active society members. The United States Census Bureau reports that almost fifty million persons with disabilities live outside organizations. This number amounts to twenty percent of the population.

One out of every five persons, one of them has problems performing one or more daily-living activities; these are individuals with disabilities. For other people, one out of three persons faces a temporary disability, which may include broken leg or arm (Ferguson Career Resource Guide, 2009). As the American population continues to rise, disability numbers go on increasing. Whether these disabilities are temporary or permanent, people require help to make up for the losses they face.

In every five persons in America, one has some sort of disability and may likely become a discrimination victim. With the aim of eradicating any form of discrimination against persons with disabilities, the U.S. Congress endorsed the 1990 Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA). The role of the ADA is to ensure equality of prospects, independent living, economic self-sufficiency and full participation of people with disabilities. According to (Ferguson Career Resource Guide (2009), estimates of the number of individuals with disabilities in the United States differ considerably depending upon definition.

For instance, an individual may have disabilities in relation to certain occupation, but not with regard to other activities performed outside or inside of their homes. Additionally, data on the degree, severity, limitation and type of disabilities is intricate to acquire. To demonstrate estimates of the percentage of the working-age population with a work disability from 17.2 to 8.5 (1980 census), the range of estimates is equally huge when addressing youth, children and elderly.

As the aged populace of the United States augments, so is the number of individuals with disabilities rise, and the effects of policy is abundantly apparent that efficient planning for rehabilitative, social and medical services calls for consistent and reliable estimates of the characteristics and numbers of the future and current individuals with disabilities According to statistics from U.S. Census Bureau, the total number of individuals with disabilities is 49, 746, 248. In this statics, 24, 439, 531 are males and 25, 306,717 females (National Academies, 1990).

One of the most common stereotypes regarding the disable persons is that all individuals with disabilities are deprived and hence not viable individuals. While 26% of persons with disabilities hold an annual household income that is below fifteen thousand dollars, a huge percentage of persons with disabilities have earned that correspond to, or surpass the average per capita income for all Americans. Effects Of ADA On Persons With Disabilities The American with Disabilities Act expands upon earlier accessibility mandates and other civil rights legislation that considered discrimination illegal.

The ADA covers more than nine hundred separate disabilities. Specifically, the ADA covers certain sections that include accommodation and accessibility requirements for all state and local government services, employment, transportation and communications. This rule tries to guarantee equal prospects for individuals with disabilities. Ferguson Career Resource Guide (2009), employers must make practical accommodation for eligible employees with disabilities, to ensure that job needs and structure do not become obstacles to employment.

While some people completely disclose their disability during a job interview, when the disability is not apparent, some do not disclose their disability. According to Perry (2010), such persons get the job, show up for the job and then notify the employer about their disabilities later. Perry (2010) asserts that the employer should understand the disability first prior to hiring such individuals so that he/she can know what to do and the measures to take before absorbing such individuals. However, the Americas with Disabilities Act promote deception unintentionally or intentionally.

Section 102 of the ADA prohibits employers from performing any medical assessment or make inquiries of an applicant for a job as to whether the applicant has some form of disability or seek to know the severity of an applicant's disability (Lee, 2001). While Americans with Disabilities Act does not want individuals with disabilities to face limitations, the Act instead places limitations on employers.

American with Disabilities Act allows individuals with disabilities to hide their disabilities until they get hired, and when it is too late for employers to fire them when the disability incurs increased cost to the employer. Economic Motivators for Employers Hiring People with Disabilities Public policies intended to protect working-age women and men with disabilities focus on providing benefits in lieu of employment. Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income provide cash benefits to persons with disabilities believed to be unable to work.

Social Security Disability Insurance is a social insurance program that offers cash transfers to working-age males and females depending on their past labor earnings (Roessler & Sumner, 1997). Individuals who have been enrolled in the Social Security system and SSDI and who show that they cannot undertake ay significant gainful activity given their functional or medical limitation are eligible for these benefits. While persons with disabilities receive programs that benefit them because of their disabilities, the United States government stresses on the competitive employment of adults with disabilities.

The country holds few national policies that support the employment of adults with disabilities (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). While these policies are not as extensive or broad as those of many European nations, the United states government does offer numerous incentives and benefits for employers in an effort to inspire them to hire employees with disabilities. Current incentives include tax credits, employer benefits for training periods and indirect supports offered through job coaches.

Examples of specific incentives and skills training programs for hiring persons with disabilities include: The Jobs Training Partnership Act, which was established in 1981 to, prepared unskilled adults and youths for entry into the labor market and to afford job training to economically underprivileged persons and other people experiencing critical barriers to employment. This program also benefits those people in special need of training to acquire productive employment (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003).

The Targeted Job Tax Credit is another incentive that allows organizations tax credit for a maximum of 2, 400 for employing people with disabilities. Tax deductions of up to thirty-five thousand are available for expenditures linked to modification or adaptation of business organizations (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Second Injury Provision of the Workmen's Compensation Fund is another incentive that offers protection for an organization if an accident happens to a worker as a direct result of an employee disability.

The Department of Labor offers waivers that allow members to pay employees with disabilities less than the predominant industry wage to allow time for training and establishment of the competitive workplace. Another overlooked benefit is the availability of employment specialists who offer training, placement and follow-along support services of employees with disabilities (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Funding is also accessible to defray excess cost linked to accommodations and training or employing individuals with disabilities from vocational rehabilitation, private Industry Councils and, the United States Employment Services.

Numerous Social Security Benefits programs (Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Income) offer monthly Medicare benefits and monthly income to adults with disabilities and their relations. People criticize these programs citing that these benefits serve as a disincentive to acquiring employment. However, recent attempts have started to engross work incentives such as a 9-month trial period, during which a person may work and earn any amount of money without mislaying any benefits, reimbursement of disability-linked work expense, and an expansive period of program eligibility (Lee, 2001).

According to Perry (2009), the government offers tax breaks to organizations that hire individuals with disabilities. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) stated that the government must raise communication concerning tax incentives to allow more companies to hire more individuals with disabilities. The concept communicated is that employers should find value not in the money they receive as taxes but in an employee personal contribution to the organization. According to Perry (2009), few employers have taken advantage of incentives accessible to them when they hire persons with disabilities.

Some individuals with disabilities admit that; they would want employers to hire them for their professionalism and the contribution they make in the organization as opposed to hiring them because of the tax breaks they receive from the government. Employers employing individuals with disabilities qualify for tax deductions and credits. These tax credits and deductions include Disable Access Credit, which offers a non-refundable credit to small organizations that spends its resources while offering access to employment of people with disabilities.

Organizations eligible for a Disabled Access Credit are those that made a maximum of one million dollars or those that hold over thirty full-time workers (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Another tax benefit for employers is the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction that inspires organizations to remove transportation and architectural obstacles to the persons with disabilities and the aged mobility. Organizations may claim a maximum of 15, 000 dollar deduction every year for eligible expenses (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Organizations claim the reduction through listing it as an individual expense on the income tax return.

Organizations may utilize the Disabled Tax Credit as well as the transportation or architectural tax deduction in a year. The other tax credit include the Work Opportunity Credit that offers qualified employer tax credit of maximum 40% of the initial 6, 000 dollars of first-year salaries of an employee with disability who is certified by the government agencies as disabled (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Work Opportunity Credit is accessible to employers when employees with disabilities have worked in the organization for at least ninety days.

The Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit is another economic incentive for employers hiring persons with disabilities (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Welfare-To-Work is a tax credit for organizations that employ persons from particular qualified groups of disabled persons who have completed or are in their final days in rehabilitative services from the United State Department of Veteran Affairs or from a state.

The government has also put in place The Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit which is a tax credit for organizations that hire persons certified by the assigned local agency as a person who received Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). The Welfare-to-Work permits tax credit of a maximum of 8, 500 dollars for people receiving TANF.

The Veterans Job Training Act is another work incentive offered in the United States that offers costs of training for employers of permanent unemployed veterans of the Vietnam era or Korean conflict. The government also provides the Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction, IRC Section 190, which refers to a deduction taken by organizations for making public transportation means or facilities usable and accessible to the elderly and individuals with disabilities. The Mentor-Protege Program, P.L.

102-172 Section 8064A is another work incentive that allows employment of persons with disabilities through Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). The Department of Defense receives technical support in areas, which include financing, management and production where the major contractor is reimbursed through the federal agency for expenses incurred during technical help offered to protege. The Social Security Administration Employment Cash Provision and these formula-based cash incentive are dependent on favorable employment upshots for persons with disabilities who are capable of foregoing their SSI or SSDI benefits.

On Job Training Program in another is another work motivator available for employers hiring individuals with disabilities. Through this program, employers are provided with finances that cater for the costs the employer spends in training employees with disabilities (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). The provided finances can be utilized for trainer wages and training classes. With On-the-job training, the employer gets the prospect to try out a worker without feeling compelled to employ the person if the training does not help the employee (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003).

This program functions for employers through helping them with the costs of training and assists employees by providing experience and training. With knowledge of On-the-job training, the program can be so efficient for both the employee and the employer. Even with these incentives for employing persons with disabilities, very few employers have knowledge of the incentives. A study conducted by Lengnick & Gaunt (2003) indicated that employers exhibit more knowledge about Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Veterans Job Training Act and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit. However, understanding of these incentives varies.

Respondents included in Lengnick & Gaunt (2003) indicated less knowledge as regard the Disabled Access Credit, the Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction, Mentor-Protege Program and the Social Security Administration Network Cash Provision (Filner, 2009). As regards these programs, employers underscored that they had no knowledge of them, and they never heard of these programs. However, to increase individuals with disabilities and employer awareness of these programs and incentives for veteran employment, the Jobs for Veterans Act in 2002 introduced the President's National Hire Veterans Committee within the Department of Labor.

This committee brings together representatives from private employers, service organizations with officials from the Small Business Administration and Organization Labor, United States Postal Service, Office of Personal Management and Department of Labor (Filner, 2009). The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) directs the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program (WOTC). The program offers economic incentives for employers employing employees from targeted groups such as individuals with disabilities. This tax credit facilitates reduction of a company's national income tax liability.

Besides receiving tax credits to promote hiring individuals with disabilities, employers can lower recruitment costs through utilizing National Job Referral services that include individuals with disabilities. The National Job Referral services include Employer Assistance Referral Network and Ticket to Hire. Donald (2009) asserts that employers may have incentives and disincentives to employ persons with mental illnesses. The disincentives are found, partly in stigmatized views of persons with mental illness and isolated negative experiences that strengthen these views.

For instance, an employer may deem that employing a person with mental illness could put at risk the physical safety of customers, coworkers and that the person's mannerism may disrupt the work setting, or customers may demean the organization if they realize that an employee of the organization is mentally disabled. According to Donald (2009), a range of activities is required to overcome employer disincentives and promote incentives.

In 1999, the Work Incentives Improvement Act and the Ticket to Work Act was endorsed to introduce federal programs to assist in the provision of employment and other forms of support to persons receiving Social Security Disability Insurance and Social Security Income. Incentives are also available to states to research shifts in disability policies and programs and to provide an extensive range of support to persons with disabilities in efforts to helping them become independent (Donald, 2009).

The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit offers tax credits to employers who employ marginalized persons including veterans and individuals with disabilities where tax credit of a maximum of four thousand and eight dollars yearly for new hires. Another employer's financial incentive includes the Disabled Access Credit, which offers tax credits to small organizations for expenses attained in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Factors Affecting Economic Motivators for Employers Louis Harris survey conducted in 2000 indicated that sixty-seven percent of persons with disabilities prefer to join the employment sector.

The basis of these overwhelming statistics includes obstacles to employment, which include reduced awareness and knowledge among employers (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Most employers may be uninformed or hold only partial data regarding increased rates of unemployment among persons with disabilities. These employers may also be uninformed on the availability and accessibility of the state and federal incentive programs. Most people with disabilities remain unemployed because of unenthusiastic employer's assumptions (Retish & Raiyter, 1999).

For example, employers may fail to realize the worth of persons with disabilities in the labor market or employers may hold preconceived ideas regarding the ability of persons with disabilities in the places of work (Lengnick-Hall & Gaunt, 2003). Although the private sector may fail may not consider prioritizing the employment of persons with disabilities, the public sector guarantees proper social equity and representation in government employment.

The government holds a powerful role as the replica employer of persons with disabilities besides holding the responsibility to guarantee that all persons, regardless of their characteristics and health conditions are well represented. However, only 7% of individuals with disabilities from the federal labor force and this number include persons with less severe disabilities (U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2006). As a result, there is an apparent difference amid the number of unemployed persons with disabilities and the numbers of employed persons with disabilities in the public segment.

Out of the twenty percent of persons with disabilities in the United States, seven percent of them are employed in the public segment. In Georgia, over fifty-three percent working-age persons with disabilities remain unemployed (U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2006). Prejudice against persons with disabilities takes place in employment procedures in all sectors that include public employment. The United States Congress has attempted to promote employment of persons with disabilities.

The endorsement of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act proscribed discrimination against eligible handicapped persons through organizations and federal agencies that receive federal funding (Hays, 2009). The Rehabilitation Act extended beyond discrimination, asserted federal agencies and contractors to train actively, and recruit persons with disabilities need that affirmative action. According to Hays (2009), the execution of the affirmative action functions to amalgamate the society, lower income inequalities, enhance distributive justice and enhance effectiveness through guaranteeing that individual's talents are used regardless of their health conditions.

The American with Disabilities Act made it unlawful for employers in the private sector, local and state government to show partiality against individuals with disabilities in the sector of employment (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity, 2005). Strong and apparent language in ADA section 102 provides that no covered entity have the right to discriminate against eligible persons with a disability because of disability with regard to processing of job application, employee's discharge, and compensation of employees, hiring, job training and other employment privileges (ADA 1990).

The amendment of the American with Disabilities Act of 2008 offered an even expansive definition of disability to make it easier for a person searching for protection under the Act. Notwithstanding the numerous trails through the federal government to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities, the unemployment are among disabled persons remain high. According to Gewurtz & Kirsh (2009), new laws that seek to promote employment of persons with disabilities are inadequate to eliminate systematic discrimination in the practices of employment.

Gewurtz & Kirsh (2009) further asserts that individuals with disabilities constantly experience many obstacles to employment that include discrimination because of gender, socioeconomic status, age, and race. In addition to prejudice founded on these aspects, persons with disabilities experience many other obstacles to employment.

Lack of Information and Knowledge Regarding Economic Motivators Findings from different studies have confirmed that awareness and lack of understanding among employers, financial issues, safety and legal concerns, inaccessible recruitment strategies and restrained social links among persons with disabilities, inconsistent government programs and potential attendance issues are the major obstacles that prevent hiring of persons with disabilities (Hays, 2009). However, these barriers depend on an individual's level and the type of disability. These are just some of the major obstacles identified through research.

However, lack of awareness and understanding among employers is a major concern and an obstacle that hinders employment of persons with disabilities. Research indicated that people with disabilities experienced prejudice and discrimination from their employers, an aspect that depressingly affects their employment. Reports from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirmed that issues such as prejudice are evident in the government.

In 2006, persons with disabilities hired through the federal government filed three thousand, eight hundred and forty three grievances of unfairness founded on practical accommodations, conditions/terms, employment terms and harassment (Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008). As regards these statistics, it is apparent that discrimination subsists against persons with disabilities. Grievances presented to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from persons with disabilities concerning issues such as harassment and discrimination have been on the rise since 2002.

According to Schur (2002) who cited the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1983), 4.2 million persons with disabilities deem that they have faced discrimination (Schur, 2002). Schur also confirmed that lack of proper knowledge and preconceived concept concerning the aptitude of persons with disabilities are the leading factors that hinder employment of persons with disabilities (Schur, 2002). A study conducted in Atlanta that involved two hundred businesses identified perceptions, attitudes and knowledge towards employing persons with disabilities as major hindrances to the employment of this group of people, particularly in the private sector.

Responses from questions on obstacles that private employers experience in hiring individuals with disabilities indicated that persons with disabilities do not have the potential to perform sufficiently what they are required to do (Schur, 2002). These were the responses from forty-nine percent of the surveyed business people while twenty-five percent of surveyed people indicated a lack of understanding regarding persons with disabilities. Employers also think that when they employ individuals with disabilities, they may experience increased litigation costs caused through high-profile cases.

In this regard, employers have a tendency of staying away from employing persons with disabilities citing increased litigation costs. Misconception about Individuals with Disabilities Employers also avoid hiring persons with disabilities due to the misapprehension that individuals with disabilities would regularly be sick or fail to finish their assigned tasks. Moreover, employers fear poor attendance of individuals with disabilities due restrained accessibility to the means of transports. Other employers avoid hiring persons with disabilities because of fear of augmented investment in measures of safety.

Employers fear about the call to offer extra prop up during emergencies given that most persons with disabilities may face an augmented danger of physical injury. On the contrary, Conlin (2000) cited a study carried out by DuPont that indicated that individuals with disabilities exhibit a ninety-percent above-average work presentation, with attendance and safety records that are above average. The misconception that individuals with disabilities are all underprivileged makes organizations less willing to use up the money needed in making the products and buildings of these individuals accessible.

The more individuals with disabilities are spotted in workplaces; the more misapprehensions get dismissed. However, for most persons with disabilities to be hired, some sort of resource adjustment to overcome certain limitations is needed (Roessler & Sumner, 1997). This demonstrates the significance of data access regarding helpful facilities. When individuals with disabilities access modern resources, they become more independent; this trend dismisses the negative stereotypes leading to considerable accessibility Another barrier to employment of individuals with disabilities includes financial concerns.

The finances are linked to practical accommodations as presented in American with Disabilities Act. However, these issues are because of misconceptions where some employers consider that the finances required to accommodate employees with disabilities are higher and would past the one thousand dollar mark (Bobby Dodd Institute, 2006). Another survey conducted by New Jersey State University in 2003 indicated that forty percent of companies involved in the survey indicated that it is costly or complex to offer accommodations to employees with disabilities (Dixon & Kruse, 2003).

Organizations are required by law to make changes and provide indispensable accommodations to handle the functional restraints for persons with disabilities. While people misconceive the cost of accommodating persons with disabilities, Georgia Department of Labor Rehabilitation Services indicates that the normal cost of accommodating individuals with disabilities in the workplace does not exceed one hundred dollars (Georgia Department of Labor Rehabilitation Services, 2009). Inaccessible Hiring Strategies Inaccessibility of targeted recruitment policies is another barrier that hinders hiring of persons with disabilities.

Findings from a recent research indicated that over seventy percent of the 200 hundred companies surveyed in Atlanta do not have specific hiring or recruiting practices for employees with disabilities. Small companies reported fewer hiring policies for individuals with disabilities. Inaccessible hiring strategies for persons with disabilities hold chronological patterns, akin to lack of appropriate hiring policies for ethnic minorities and women before the 1960s (Presidential Appointments Improvements Act of 2007).

Affirmative action strategies promoting the hiring of individuals with disabilities have instigated targeted policies to support ethnic minorities and women to enter into elections. While persons with disabilities have constantly faced frustrations in their efforts to seek for employments, and affirmative action strategies aimed at assisting in encouraging their employment, this group of persons constantly experience similar issues they experienced before the introduction of the ADA and affirmative action and the establishment of work incentives.

Employment of managers and officials in the government is also faced with challenges of hiring individuals with disabilities. While the appointing power makes room for the procedure of recruiting individuals, managers hold no understanding of the procedure of hiring these people (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008). The government has set aside a non-competitive strategy that allows the hiring of individuals with disabilities who apply for federal work (Schedule A).

However, managers because of lack of understanding regarding the program (Schedule A) appointing power do not use this hiring power completely. With respect to the process of a job application, individuals with disabilities are not able to affix their Schedule an application form while applying for federal jobs online. Conflicts with Existing Programs The most significant barrier that hinders individuals with disabilities from getting hired is the conflict amid available government programs. Scores of present policies put off persons with disables from seeking employment.

Individuals with disabilities may fail to search for employment for fear of losing significant health care services that include long-term supports and services, which include assistive technology, and personal assistance services (Presidential Appointments Improvements Act of 2007). Presently, waiting people for individuals with disabilities to be eligible for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) may go beyond 5 months and individuals with disabilities are inspired to remain unemployed in the course of this period, as seeking employment would obstruct them from receiving the Social Security Disability Income.

In addition, beneficiaries of SSDI, who may obtain employment risk losing their benefits because of receiving income that extends beyond a specific level. Another aspect that makes persons with disabilities choose to remain unemployed is because SSDI benefits receive a reduced tax compared to earned income (Taylor, 1998).

Conflicts with accessible support programs put off many individuals with disabilities to seek employment given that these people may get numerous cash benefits from programs which include veterans benefits, private disability insurance, Temporary Assistance which individuals with disabilities may lose if they enter into employment that earns them an income that goes beyond a given level of income. The government programs support low anticipations for self-support and self-reliance turns to a self-fulfilling prophecy for individuals with disabilities (Fabian, Glacia & Beveridge, 2009).

While the government attempts to promote employment of persons with disabilities through public programs, eligibility needs for government benefits put off this group of persons from looking for employment. In the fiscal year 1998, over 10 million persons received either Social Security or SSI disability benefits. The programs represent the two largest disability benefit programs in the United States, with estimated expenditures of about 66 billion dollars in 1998 (Presidential Appointments Improvements Act of 2007).

While both SSI and Social security involves a number of work incentives and provide rehabilitation services to the employed persons with disabilities, the number of persons who leave these roll to go back to work is minimal. According to Presidential Appointments Improvement Act of 2007, less than one percent of SSI recipients and approximately one percent of Social Security recipients depart the SSA disability rolls per year through returning to work.

The small occurrence of return to work on the part of persons with disabilities who receive Social Security or SSA benefits may be partly due to the SSI and Social Security requirements that a person's impairment makes her or him incapable to engage in any significant work. Given that eligibility for these benefits depends on proving one's inability to work, recipients risk losing health insurance coverage and cash benefits if try to work.

While existing incentives in the SSI and Social Security disability programs tries to lessen these dangers, proponents of increased work prospects argue that more focused efforts were required to resolve the conflict amid constant health insurance coverage for persons with disabilities or choosing to work (Presidential Appointments Improvements Act of 2007). Lack of Appropriate Planning and Difficulties in implementations Economic Incentive Programs According to Stapleton (2006), scores of government reforms aimed at motivating employers to employ individuals with disabilities have not yielded any success.

For example, the Work Incentives Act and the Federal Ticket to Work of 1990 has experienced restrained execution success given that organizations are dampened from taking part due to the intricate payment structure and the call for open capital to buy the needed training equipment. In spite of the efforts through the government to be practical in promoting employment prospects for persons with disabilities, these efforts have not been doing well because of lack of appropriate planning and intricacies in implementations of the programs.

Conflict or lack of harmonization with the already existing government programs is made worse and lack of liability and setting of the objective by one office or agency within the federal government. In addition, lack of tactical planning in employing individuals with disabilities blocks the government from achieving its recruitment objectives. Statistics presented via government agencies indicate forty-three percent of agencies in 2005 failed to introduce any form of the objective to promote employment attitude for individuals with disabilities (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008).

Unemployment Among People with Disabilities Flexibility and competence are the crucial skills that employers look for when hiring people. Now, businesses require persons with an illustrated propensity to adapt to divergent circumstances and situations. More than any additional group, persons with disabilities precisely have these characteristics. On a daily basis, persons with disabilities must reflect creatively concerning how to accomplish assigned tasks and solve problems. In most places of work, this resourcefulness leads to creative thinking, different perspectives and fresh concepts that enhance productivity and profitability of a business.

While research indicates that persons with disabilities make exceptional employees, most employers do not know how to recruit productively, retain, and hire such persons (Ferguson Career Resource Guide, 2009). Employees with disabilities require correct work setting and tools for them to conduct their jobs effectively. Practical accommodations are adjustments and modifications to work settings, jobs, or workplace strategies that allow qualified persons with disabilities to conduct basic duties of their jobs and gain equal access to the privileges enjoyed by people who are not disabled. According U.S.

Government Manual (2010), the office of disability employment policy (ODEP) offers national disability employment policy leadership through influencing and developing execution of disability employment policies and practices affecting the hiring of persons with disabilities. ODEP's reaction to low employment rates among persons with disabilities is distinctive, aggressive, detailed and entails active engagement and collaboration of State, Federal and local private and public entities including employers. ODEP leads efforts to attain the employment-linked objectives of the Presidents New Freedom Initiative.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy tackles barriers to employment experienced by individuals with disabilities through disseminating and developing national, local and state disability employment policy. This is achieved through supporting execution of creative practices and strategies among employers and through different systems that serves the persons with disabilities via performing disability linked research to develop knowledge to inform policy growth.

Supporting persons with disabilities to obtain employments are also achieved through offering technical support to service delivery systems and employers to augment employment prospects, retention, promotion and recruitment of persons with disabilities. People with disabilities confirm that life has changed since the establishment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to a 1996 poll conducted by the United Cerebral Palsy Association, people with disabilities, their family members, and friends have achieved the benefits of ADA.

The study illustrated that the Americans with Disabilities Act triggered improved access to transportation, buildings and involvement in the community. However, the study confirmed that employment was a region where persons with disabilities encountered less change. The National Organization on Disability in 1998 confirmed the existence of a huge gap amid the hiring of persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities (United States, House, 2003).

Out of the 1, 000 persons with disabilities surveyed, only thirty-three percent of these individuals indicated that they were very pleased with life compared to the sixty percent of persons without disabilities who confirmed their satisfaction with their lives. The study confirmed a great gap amid employment of persons with disabilities and normal persons. Congress endorsed the American with Disabilities Act to increase job opportunities for persons with disabilities and eliminate any form of discrimination against these people. The congress aimed at eradicating discrimination in places of work.

A recent United States Census Bureau statistics indicated that 25% of persons aged between sixteen years and seventy years with a work disability are in formal employment where only twenty-two percent of them are in full-time employment. For people with a critical work disability, only 7.9% of them are employed with only 2.7% of them in full-time employment (United States, House, 2003).

The 1998 Harris Poll indicated that only twenty-nine percent of persons with disabilities between working-age of eighteen to sixty years work part-time or full-time as opposed to seventy-nine percent of persons without disabilities who have attained the working age bracket. Seventy-two percent of persons with disabilities who remain unemployed confirmed that they would like to work. Results from the Harris Poll indicated that the number of employed individuals with disabilities declined from 1986 when only thirty-percent of persons with disabilities were absorbed in the employment sector.

The 1990 economic recess also blocked employment prospects for scores of people with disabilities being worst hit. With respect to 2005, United States Census data, persons with disabilities make a huge portion of the American population forming up to twenty percent of the United States population. Notwithstanding their huge numbers, persons with disabilities experience numerous complexities that entail reduced access to health, lack of transportation, lack of employments and increased rates of poverty. The main foundation of the many problems that people with disabilities face are because of reduced job prospects.

Lack of employment among persons with disabilities is the main cause of increased poverty rates among persons with disabilities. This trend makes these people depend considerably on government assistance programs at local and federal levels. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its report on the prospect of disability in the United States indicated that enhanced access to transportation, health care and employment help in solving the problems that people with disabilities experience (Institute of Medicine, 2007).

The existing barriers to employment and other major life aspects of persons with disabilities make the conditions of persons with disabilities worse. Novel laws besides the execution of numerous government programs have not been feasible enough to lower the national unemployment rate of persons with disabilities, which is high. Promoting employment for persons with disabilities is an important policy in the United States.

Examples of Federal policies with the intent of increasing employment rate for people with disabilities include the vocational rehabilitation system funded through grants from the United States Rehabilitation Services Administration to the States, The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Worker Opportunity Tax Credit and the Ticket to Work program. Some of these policies are comparatively new, but analysts have noted a reduction in the employment rate for persons with disabilities in the present years (Stein, 2000).

Assessments of ADA indicate that the act reduces the rate of employment for people with disabilities instead of raising the employment rate. Observers have taken a close analysis of the employment statistics for persons with disabilities given the surprising statistics. Presently, the labor force is developing at a slower rate, a trend that indicates a tighter labor market in the future.

The causes of the slower rate include a reduced number of the young people entering the labor market and the rising numbers of older persons in the labor market (Stein, 2000). Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the aging baby-boom generation affects the development labor force. By 2014, baby boomers will be between 50 to 68 years and the age group is expected to increase significantly. Youths aged between sixteen and twenty-four years will reduce in numbers, hence a loss of labor force share of 15.1% to 13.7% in 2014 (Bureau of Statistics, 2005).

Given these statistics, employers need to include persons with disabilities in their labor force. This because most of the sources employers depend on for achieving staffing needs is not enough. For instance, given that the demographic trends of reduced younger employees and increased old, employees are a global phenomenon; outsourcing employees will not assist in solving the deficit in the labor market adequately.

While the rising rate of labor force participation for females assisted in meeting the staffing needs of employers between 1960 and 1990, it is not anticipated to rise significantly in the future. Similarly, while new immigrants' help in offsetting the slow development experienced in the labor force, their average levels of education are lower compared to that of the U.S. citizens (Schur, 2002). This trend creates issues for employers who require the services of more educated people. To help address the scarcity of employees in the U.S.

labor market, employers utilize the untapped and presently available labor pool that includes people with disabilities. Findings from the American Community Survey indicated that 12.6% (21, 455, 000) of 169, 765, 000 working persons reported at least one form of disabilities. The employments for persons with disabilities was 38.1 an aspect that confirmed that over 60% of persons with disabilities are not employed while the employment rate of person without disabilities 78.3 indicating that only 20% of potential workers without disabilities are unemployed. The gap amid the rates of employments of persons without and with disabilities was 40.3% (Schur, 2002).

Approximately 8, 174,355, out of 21, 455, 000 people with disabilities in the bracket of working-age are employed while a huge number of them remain unemployed. For employers to achieve their staffing needs, they must absorb the increasing number of people with disabilities. Employers can take advantage of different programs that support the hiring and recruitment of persons with disabilities. Hiring persons with disabilities makes employers qualified for tax credits that cover the accommodations cost for employees with disabilities.

However, to get the tax credits, employers must comply with some legal needs regarding the accommodation of persons with disabilities (United States House, 2003). American with Disabilities Act (ACT) needs employers with at least fifteen or more employees to offer practical accommodation for employees with disabilities. Practical accommodations allow people with disabilities to have equal employment prospects. The rate of employment for working-age persons with disabilities is not only significantly lower compared to that of people without disabilities, but it has also dropped over time.

This trend has taken place notwithstanding efforts by federal and state government to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities through anti-discrimination law (United States, House, 2003). The reduced rate has led to a questioning of the efficiency of economic incentives for employers on employment rates for persons with disabilities. Employment protection regulations consider discrimination against professionals with disabilities unlawful. The American with Disabilities Act is the initial federal disability-founded anti-discrimination law that is extensively used to ensure protection of employees with disabilities (Taylor, 1998).

Before the introduction of the 1990 ADA Act, several states already had some type of disability protection rules in place that engrossed practical accommodation needs. The overall implication of the ADA in employment is questionable. Filner (2009) asserts that notwithstanding the execution of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a reduced account of unemployment in the 1990s, and government incentives, the rate of employment of persons with disabilities decreases. With the rate of overall unemployment on the rise, persons with disabilities may not enjoy employment prospects.

A survey conducted by SHRM (The Society for Human Resource Management) carried out in 2002, confirmed the reduced employment rates for persons with disabilities. The survey confirmed that the unemployment rate of persons with disabilities persists. According to United State Census Bureau, about fifty-four million Americans have some form of disability while 26 million of these people suffering from severe disabilities. During the major employable years, between twenty-one and sixty-four percent of persons without disabilities in American obtain a business or job compared to seventy-seven persons with disability.

The rate of employment for persons with disabilities never improved in the 1990s in spite of the powerful economy and the landmark legislation passage of the American with Disabilities Act. Presently, with the fragile economy, job opportunities for persons with disabilities are low (United States, House, 2003). The number of unemployed persons with disabilities in the nation is a principal economic cost to the society.

Every year, the national governments use up forty times more to hold up persons with disabilities compared to what it spends to assist these individuals find and prepare for jobs. The low rate of employment for disabled people is approximated to cost the country's economy more than 200 billion dollars per year. The government has put in place numerous tax incentives for employers that employ persons with disabilities. However, it is not apparent how employers understand these incentives and whether these incentives impinge on decision-making.

Filner (2009) claimed that the American with Disabilities Act, on the contrary, discouraged the hiring of persons with disabilities. According to recent statistics, the American economy is developing as at a rate of 7%. Every person in America needs a job to survive, but it is shocking how persons with disabilities in America hold a high rate of unemployment. Over 30% percent of persons with disabilities in America are unemployed, and the number remains as it was prior to the endorsement of the American with Disabilities Act in the 1990s.

Research indicates that the 1990s economic expansion has greatly enhanced the incomes of persons with disabilities (Stein, 2000). However, people with disabilities have been left without formal employment; hence, they did not share in the 1990s economic growth. Part of the issue of unemployment of people with disabilities is discrimination and the court ruling that favors employers in American with Disabilities lawsuits. Discriminations against persons with disabilities are persistent notwithstanding lawful prohibitions against prejudice in employing persons with disabilities.

Seventy-nine percent of persons with disabilities who remain unemployed cite prejudice in the place of work besides the lack of means of transportation to their places of work. These among others are the major factors that block persons with disabilities from being employed. Recent studies have indicated that persons with disabilities who are employed get less salary compared to their counterparts without disabilities. Persons with disabilities are also less liable for promotion compared to persons without disabilities. Inauspicious court rulings have not supported persons with disabilities (Filner, 2009).

Research conducted by Ruth Colker, a law professor, indicates that in the 8 years following implementing of the ADA, employer-defendants reign in most trial decided cases. According to Ruth Colker, the Congress wanted the ADA to become a national mandate for putting to an end the discrimination against persons with disabilities. However, American courts have constricted the extent of the bylaw, redefined disability besides raising the access price to justice. The American courts have also viewed disability prejudice as something that does not require a serious remedy.

The greatest problem that affects people with disabilities and blocks them from accessing employment is the federal government. This is because regulations and laws designed to assist disabled persons instead offer an economic deterrent to working (Filner, 2009). The increased employment rate amongst persons receiving federal disability reimbursement is not as a result of their federal reimbursement that hold eligibility criteria that is easily accessible but because these benefits have too small back doors. This implies that once a person is enrolled, it is not easy to come off.

The Congress passed the work incentives improvement Act in 1999 that allows individuals with disabilities to constantly get health insurance coverage once they get employed, but the rule is restrained and does not eradicate the problem of unemployment among persons with disabilities. Summary The ADA was formed to augment the employment rates of persons with disabilities through legalizing employment discrimination and rising workplace accessibility.

However, American with Disabilities Act has faced much criticism because of lowering the rates of employments through increasing costs of firing and hiring employees with disabilities because of the potential requirement for accommodations and dangers of lawsuits. From the review of literature, the problem of the increased unemployment rate of individuals with disabilities is triggered by lack of information and knowledge of the accessible economic incentive programs for employers hiring people with disabilities (OECD, 2009).

Most employers and targeted employees are unaware of the work incentives programs provided by the federal government to all states. Moreover, the provisions of the American with Disabilities Act particularly section 102, which prohibit assessments of the employee's health status, also prohibit the effectiveness of economic incentives for employers hiring individuals with disabilities (United States, House, 2003).

Other factors that hinder employment of people with disabilities besides ineffective work incentives include legal and safety issues, financial concerns, lack of strategies for recruitment and incompatible government programs that discourages individuals with disabilities from seeking employment because of fear of losing Social Security or SSI benefits. Community and employer attitudes, inadequate jobs in the local community and lack of employment and job placement supports are other factors that impede hiring of individuals with disabilities.

Conclusion Notwithstanding the efforts by the national government to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities, the unemployment rate for this group of individuals still remains high. The literature review has assessed the effectiveness of economic incentives such as tax credit made available to employers hiring people with disabilities across all states in the United States including Atlanta, Georgia.

The establishment of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the introduction of economic incentives for employers hiring individuals with disabilities are not sufficient to eliminate discrimination against the employment of individuals with disabilities. The fact that individuals with disabilities continue to experience many obstacles in the employment sector is an indication that the economic incentives offered by the government to enhance employment of individuals with disabilities are not effective.

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY Introduction This research examined the Effectiveness of Economic Motivators for Employers on Employment Rates for People with Disabilities in Atlanta. The government is playing a critical role in enhancing the performance of organizations consequently encouraging the integration of people with disabilities in the workplace. Despite this essence, there are still high rates of disabilities among the persons with disabilities.

The study sought to find the number of firms that appreciate employer motivators and implement relevant policies towards the minimization of the rate of unemployment among the persons with disabilities. This research adopted and implemented the concept of the qualitative and quantitative method towards examining the research questions. This relates to the integration of administration of self-administered questionnaires, interviews and evaluation of existing literature review of the research scope. The research sought to address the following research questions: Qualitative Research Questions 1.

What level of knowledge do senior managers have pertaining to employer motivators for employing persons with disabilities? 2. How much are employer motivators for hiring individuals with disabilities used organizations? 3. What do senior managers believe are the most effective recommendations for improving the employment of persons with disabilities? 4. How does the American Disabilities Act (ADA) support the employment of individuals with disabilities? Quantitative Research Questions 5. Is there a significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? 6.

Is there a significant relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and employment of the disabled persons? 7. Is there a significant relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta Research Design This study utilized mixed method research design with the aim of evaluating the research questions effectively and efficiently. The specific research design that was used for this study was a concurrent mixed method. This involved the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data concurrently.

According to Johnson and Onuwuegbuzie (2004), the mixed methodology is a research that mixes or combines both quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches and concepts into a single study. It helped to answer research questions that cannot be answered by qualitative or quantitative approach alone (Creswell, 2009). The main objective with reference to the integration of this research design was to gain insights and familiarity for effective and efficient investigation.

The mixed method design focused on the achievement of the following goals and objectives: To gain insight of the basic details, settings, and concerns in relation to the research scope To obtain a sufficiently grounded picture of the scope and the situation under the investigation for the achievement of quality and substantial findings To generate new ideas and assumptions for the development of tentative theories and hypotheses in relation to the research questions and sub-questions To determine the feasibility of the study in future interactions or executions To offer direction for the future research and techniques for the confirmation of the developmental theories and framework To refine for more systematic investigations and formulation of the new research questions with the aim of gaining effective insights on the developing issues To gain useful information on the background of the specific topic To adopt and integrate flexible and appropriate design with the aim of addressing the research questions while examining what, why, and how questions To gain effective approach towards research priorities in relation to the formulation of the formal hypothesis and precise research problems or issues Variables An independent variable refers to the variable in which the research has control over in relation to what to choose and manipulate (Andrew et al., 2011).

It is what the researcher thinks will affect or influence the dependent variable. In some cases, it is difficult to manipulate the independent variable because of being fixed or its evaluation with respect to how it affects something else. The research will focus on examining the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variables. A dependent variable refers to what the researcher decides to measure during the study or experiment (Andrew et al., 2011). This is an indication that the dependent variable responds to the independent variable.

It derives its name because of its tendency of becoming a consequence or outcome of the independent variable. This indicates that for dependent variable to occur there must be an independent variable in the first place. Selection of Participants Examination of the research exercise depends on the ability of the research to adopt and integrate representative population or participants (Perry, 2004). This research focused on the integration of about 300 participants.

These participants participated in the administration of the questionnaires and interview instrumentations with the aim of achieving valuable findings in relation to the research questions.

Complete description of the Research Participants Atlanta City Number of Participants Description of Participants Five Points District 75 40 HR specialists in major companies 15 disability advocates 10 normal employees 10 persons with disabilities Luckie Marietta District 75 40 HR specialists in major companies 10 disability advocates 10 normal employees 15 persons with disabilities South Downtown District 75 30 HR specialists in major companies 15 disability advocates 10 normal employees 20 persons with disabilities Bland town District 75 40 HR specialists in major companies 20 disability advocates 5 normal employees 10 persons with disabilities From the above table, the participants were divided into four critical categories: normal employer/employees, persons with disabilities, human resource experts, and disability advocates.

There were 150 human resource experts in the context of the named districts in Atlanta City. There was also the need to note the participation of 55 persons with disabilities, 60 advocates or activists in relation to disability, and 35 normal employees/employers within the context of Atlanta City. There was no age limit in the participating in evaluating the research questions and scope. The participants were selected through random sampling from local companies in the Atlanta metropolitan area. There was no relationship or conflict of interest between participants and researcher.

Type of Sampling The research adopted a simple random sample method often referred to as SRS in the selection of the participants in the stated districts (Morrow, 2011). This relates to the identification of the HR specialists, disability advocates/activists, persons with disabilities, employees/employers in the four districts in the context of Atlanta City.

A simple random sample in relation to size n consisting of individuals from the population is obtained in such a way that every set of the individuals has an equal chance to be in the actual sample selected. In this case, population refers to the collection of people the study focuses on examining the research questions and sub-questions. This sampling method is critical because of its ability to eliminate bias in the development of samples such as in the above case of data/participants (O'Hara, 2011).

The random sampling method is also easier to implement and interpret in order to deduce relevant information with reference to the research questions. The population of Atlanta City is approximately 433,000 (McMahan, 2009). This is an indication that the study sought to examine 0.07% of the population with the aim of denoting the occurrences within the context of the city. Instrumentation The research focused on utilizing questionnaires and interviews as research instruments for evaluating research questions. There were two forms of administration of the questionnaires.

These included online/internet and physical administration of the questionnaire by the researcher. Online administration of the questionnaire was applicable in the case of inaccessible participants under which the researcher focused on the administration of the instruments through their emails. The survey used in the study was the Employer Incentives for Hiring Individuals with Disabilities Survey (2003) and previous research conducted by Hall (2003). This survey was used to gather information about employers on the incentive benefits that are offered to employees by use of the Likert scale.

The Likert scale (1932) was developed to measure attitudes by asking people to respond to series of statements about a topic, in terms of the extent to which they agree with the statement, and so tapping into the cognitive and affective components of attitudes (Mitchell & Jolley, 2010). The questionnaire and interview structures focused on the integration of open-ended and closed questions in order to capture relevant information in relation to the research questions and sub-questions (Mitchell & Jolley, 2010.

Its major advantage is that they do not expect a simple yes/no answer from the respondents, but rather allow for a degree of opinion. It aids collection of quantitative data that can be easily analyzed (Mcleod, 2008). The Likert scale is an ordered one-dimensional scale from which the respondents choose one option that aligns with their view. There were five options in the questionnaire. The responses are (5) strongly agree (4) agree (3) neither agree nor disagree (2) disagree (1) strongly disagree.

The benefit of the Likert scale is that questions used are usually easy to understand and so lead to consistent answers (Mcleod, 2008). The research instrument consisted of 16 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Five is the highest mean score possible and one is the lowest mean score possible. Items 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 14 and 16 are used to answer research question six. Items 2, 5, 6, 8, and 15 are used to answer research question seven. Items 10, 11, 12, and 13 are used to answer research question eight. The researcher self-administered the questionnaire by hand and collected the qualitative data for the study.

The researcher personally contacted the respondents and explained the purpose of the study before giving them the questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by the respondents at their convenience, and the researcher will return on a later day to pick up the questionnaire after completion by the respondents. This method generally receives a greater response rate than other methods of distributing survey instrument. It presents the opportunity for personal interaction and respondents feel more compelled to complete the questionnaire after a positive interaction.

Furthermore, Mond et al., (2004) stated that this method is relatively less expensive and yields a fairly high response rate. The researcher monitored the response rate by checking on how many questionnaires have been returned. The researcher made a return visit to remind politely those that had still not returned their questionnaire to do so. Items in the questionnaire were grouped into logically coherent sections. Questions that are similar were grouped together, making it easier and comfortable for respondents to complete.

For example, questions that use the same response format, or those that cover specific topic were grouped together. The researcher provided clear and concise instructions on how respondents will answer each question in the questionnaire. This was achieved by using short sentences and basic vocabulary. Reliability The researcher ensured that the responses from participants met the requirements of reliability and validity through Triangulation. Triangulation is the process whereby a researcher searches for convergence among different sources of information to form themes or categories in the study (Creswell & Miller, 2000).

Reliability is one of the two important and fundamental characteristics of any measurement procedure. Reliability refers to the extent to which the questionnaire tests, observe, and produce the same results on repeated trials (Morrow, 2011). This is an indication that reality focuses on the stability or consistency of the score following the administration of the research instrument. This research exercise integrated three critical aspects towards the realizing reliability of the questionnaire to reveal consistent results: internal consistency, equivalence, and stability.

Equivalence refers to the agreement between two or three research instruments administered at the same point and time. It was measured through a parallel form in which one administers alternative forms of the same instrument to either the same or different group of participants. The higher degree of the instruments will illustrate equivalence in examining the research questions and scope (Morrow, 2011). Stability occurs when the same or similar score are achieved by repeated testing in the same group of respondents.

This is an indication of the consistency of the scores from one time to another. This was assessed through the integration of the test-retest in relation to the administration of the same instrument to the similar group and conditions. Internal consistency refers to the extent through which items on the test measure the same aspect. The research implemented split-half reliability index in order to measure this aspect of reliability.

Validity Unlike reliability, validity focuses on examining the extent to which the instrument measures what it is supposed or purports to measure (Brace, 2008). This research focused on the integration of three aspects of validity in the form of content, face, and criterion-related validity. Content validity refers to the degree in which the instrument fully assesses the construct of interests. This was achieved through the rationalization of the instrument by raters in relation to the construct of interest (Brace, 2008).

Face validity is a reflection of an element of the content validity in which the end result in the review of the instruments and characteristics of the construct of interest. Finally, criterion-related validity is achieved when one is interested in determining the relationship of scores with reference to a specific criterion. Appropriateness/rationale for use in the study One of the rationalities of the implementation of the questionnaires is the practicability of the questionnaires towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of the research exercise.

The instrument also offers an opportunity for the collection of a large amount of information from a large sample in the shortest time possible. The outcome of the questionnaire also offers an opportunity for the researcher to quantify through a software package or individual analysis. Quantification of the results makes it ideal for comparison with other research studies thus effective in gaining insight into this research scope.

Quantitative and qualitative data are applicable in the generation of theories or frameworks thus appropriate for the collection of information in this research study (Bryman, 2012). Ethical Consideration The first process in the collection of data and execution of the research was to seek the IRB approval. This is through the inclusion of a detailed description of the research, methods, hypotheses, and procedures applicable. The application included a description of the population, steps towards minimizing risks to the patients, and essence of confidentiality.

The application is also related to the grant proposal, questionnaires/survey applicable to the research exercise. The application entailed recruitment materials and consent. The other essence of approval relates to seeking the institutional approval through detailed description of the components of the research such as methodology, hypotheses, proposal, and analysis methods. This facilitated the execution of the next step in relation to the integration of valuable instruction and materials applied in the execution of the research exercise.

The setting of the research study was in the context of the various districts listed above with the central location in the Bland town district. The research exercise adhered to the ethics of the informed consent with the aim of enhancing confidentiality and autonomy of the participants. This is critical because of the need to promote their privacy rights and security in relation to utilizing critical information effectively and efficiently in accordance with the terms of the research project.

This ensured the anonymity of the participants as well as maintenance of the confidential records during the collection of the data process. This research exercise focused on the elimination of the bias of the researcher during the execution process through maintenance of objectivity. This is through the collection of data as they are provided by the respondent without any alteration or premeditated judgment on the issue at hand. This is essential towards the achievement of reliability and validity of the research process and instrument. The data collection took three days.

The researcher collected all the questionnaires after administration for the entry into a personal computer for analysis. This took approximately two weeks with the aim of coming up with an effective and efficient illustration and interpretation of the research findings. At the completion of the research, the data was stored on a disk and is locked up in a safe for three years at the researcher's home. Thereafter, the disk will be destroyed.

Data Analysis The stated research questions adopted and implemented diverse measurement and analysis techniques for the purposes of accuracy and quality interpretation of the research findings or consequences of the administration of the questionnaires. This research utilized these analysis methods for each research question: Qualitative Research Analysis The qualitative data analysis for the study began with interview discussions. As data was collected, it was transcribed and manually categorized into themes in a way that answers the qualitative research questions.

The researcher utilized the constant comparison analysis approach (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Ryan & Bernard 2000) to examine, describe, and summarize participants responses to the open-ended questions asked during the focus group discussions. RQ1: What level of knowledge do Human resources have pertaining to employer motivators for employing persons with disabilities? The researcher used constant comparison approach to answering research question 1. This method enabled the researcher to examine participants' expressions of their perceptions about the question related to employer motivation asked in the focus group.

The researcher was able to identify how one expression is different or similar to the other. The similarities and differences generated from participants' expressions of their perceptions helped the researcher to develop themes and sub-themes what will be used to analyze question 1. RQ2: How much are employer motivators for hiring individuals with disabilities used organizations? The researcher used constant comparison approach to answering research question 2. This method enabled the researcher to examine participants' expressions of their perceptions about the question related to employer incentives asked in the focus group.

The researcher was able to identify how one expression is different or similar to the other. The similarities and differences generated from participants' expressions of their perceptions helped the researcher to develop themes and sub-themes what will be used to analyze question 2. RQ3: What do human resources managers believe are the most effective recommendations for improving the employment of persons with disabilities? The researcher used constant comparison approach to answering research question 3.

This method enabled the researcher to examine participants' expressions of their perceptions about the question related to employer recommendations asked in the focus group. The researcher was able to identify how one expression is different or similar to the other. The similarities and differences generated from participants' expressions of their perceptions helped the researcher develop themes and sub-themes what will be used to analyze the question.

RQ4: How does the American Disabilities Act (ADA) support the employment of individuals with disabilities? The researcher used constant comparison approach to answering research question 4. This method enabled the researcher to examine participants' expressions of their perceptions about the question related to the effect of American Disabilities Act asked in the focus group. The researcher was able to identify how one expression is different or similar to the other.

The similarities and differences generated from participants' expressions of their perceptions helped the researcher to develop themes and sub-themes that would be used to analyze question 4. Quantitative Research Analysis Participants' responses were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 to analyze resultant data. Descriptive statistics were utilized to answer research questions five, six and seven.

RQ5: Is there a significant relationship between senior manager's perception of disabilities and the performance duties scheduled for their disabled employees? Research questions five implemented the Pearson's Product Moment Correlation to test the relationship between the perception of disabilities and increase employment to answer question five. RQ6: Is there a relationship between senior managers' personal experiences with disabilities and the employment of the disabled persons? Research questions seven implemented the Pearson's Product Moment Correlation to test the relationship between the employer's experiences and employment to answer question six.

RQ7: Is there a relationship between Organizational culture and the job performance of disability employees in the workplace in Atlanta? Research question seven implemented t-test in the examination of the relationship between the means of the two populations. The Researcher's Role Since this is a mixed research process, the researcher executed the following roles: thematising, designing, transcribing, interviewing, questionnaires, analyzing, verifying, and reporting the findings of the research. This is through the promotion of elements of objectivity and transparency in the collection, analysis, and interpretation processes.

Credibility The credibility criteria involved establishment that the outcome or the results of the mixed research are believable and credible from the participants' point-of-view. This is through the description of the purpose of the qualitative research in the interest of the participants because they are the legitimate entities in passing judgment on the credibility of the results or findings. Dependability Dependability relates to the ability and the need for the research process to the account of the essence of ever-changing context in which the experiment is executed.

The mixed research focused on the description of the changes that occur in the context and relevant influence of the changes in the approach to the study. Transferability Transferability relates to the degree to which the findings of the mixed research could be generalized in relation to other settings or context. This is the responsibility of the person executing the generalized concept. In order to enhance transferability in relation to this research, the focus was on the description of the research context and assumptions central to the qualitative research.

This indicated that the researcher will make a vital judgment on the sensibility of the research for generalization purposes. Conformability According to one of the assumptions of mixed research, each researcher has the ability to generate a unique point-of-view in the research process. Conformability focused on the determination of the degree to which the findings could be confirmed by others. This was through documentation of the producers with the aim of checking and rechecking the data across the study.

There was also the need to execute examination and description of the negative instances contracting the prior observations as well as the implementation of the data audit approach to enhance conformability. Conclusion The purpose of this study examined Economic Motivators for Employers on Employment Rates for People with Disabilities in Atlanta. This chapter provided a description of the research methodology that was conducted for this study. The mixed methodology design utilized administration of questionnaires and interviews for the achievement of a quality collection of data.

The population, sample, research instruments, data collection and data analysis were described to identify how this research methodology was vital in the development of the next chapter of the dissertation. CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS Introduction According to the Census Bureau in the United States, there are about 54 million Americans that have some sort of disability. Out of these persons, 26 million persons have a severe disability. While employment rates are concerned, it should be seen that 82% of the people in America without a disability have a job or some sort of business.

Keeping this in mind, it should be seen that the employment rate of individuals with disabilities has not improved since the 1990s when the ADA was passed. Even though the economy has gotten better since that time, employment still hasn't improved. Now with the economy in a decline and inflation going up, there is an urgent need for disabled people to be employed so that they can better take care of themselves.

In this chapter, the researcher discussed the results that were obtained with respect to the research questions that were laid down in the study design section of the paper. The responses of respondents to each question and, therefore, the findings obtained as a part of the research through these questions shall be brought into limelight one after another (Bryman, 2012). This study made use of both a survey and questionnaire.

Restatement of Study Purpose The purpose of this Mixed study was to examine Economic Motivators for Employers on Employment Rates for People with Disabilities in Atlanta. Moreover, the study sought to find out how many firms really appreciate employer incentives and who in the firms make policies about implementing them.

A minor focus of the research was to evaluate employers' outlooks and sentiments concerning the effect of the ADA on the hiring of persons with disabilities, decide on the amount of effort firms spend on hiring persons with disabilities and benefit from understanding the top managements' special involvements with disabilities. The research tools used in the study consisted of interviews, questionnaires and evaluation of the existing literature that is present about the topic.

The mixed research design was used so that answers to the research questions could be obtained in a more comprehensive manner. The data was obtained by making use of interview questions in a questionnaire. There were a couple of open-ended questions that the respondents had to answer. The aim of this questionnaire was to record the candid thought of 50 respondents that were made a part of this study. The employer's size ranged from 15-200 for small to midsize employers in metro Atlanta.

Demographic Information of Study Sample The study sample was chosen by the designation and job description of the participants. There was no preference over a certain age or gender while considering the study sample. In every district, the sample consisted of HR specialists in major companies, disability advocates, normal employees and persons with disabilities. The numbers of employees who had a disability and did not have a disability were equal in the study.

Considering how everyone was of the working age, the demographic profile of the sample appears to be more than 25 and less than 60. There is an almost equal number of men and women in this study sample. All the participants belonged to Atlanta city but to different districts within the city. Section 2: The Primary, Secondary and Third Themes for Each Research Question The researcher was able to find many relevant concerns and theories addressed through the responses and implicit in the answers that the responders expounded.

The employers were generally aware of the attitudinal behavior of the managers in their organization, as well as the implications of ADA. The main background that led to unemployment of the disabled persons arose from more reasons that were initially envisaged by the researcher.

In the quest to address the concerns of the employers and to analyze the reasons thereto, the main areas of further study required an understanding of four themes- Theories of Discrimination (three independent theories), Labor Market theory (labor Supply and Labor Demand), Legal Implications (awareness (of lack of complete knowledge) of legal history) and Implications of Statutory (ADA) requirements (economic incentives by way of tax benefits).

Each of the themes recognized above has considerable implications for the awareness about the employment of Disabled persons in general amongst the employees of organizations as also the employer. The main themes recognized, apart from the anticipated ones involving ADA, were those related to Classical Discrimination theory professed by Gary Becker and other recognized market theories that are followed by employers in actual practice. The recognition of these additional theories gives an additional insight into the phenomenon of negative employment amongst the disabled persons.

The basic hypothesis taken into consideration for this study is Maslow's Theory of Needs and motivation (attended to in Chapter 2). The researcher has been able to identify the additional themes that request the attention to the problem through Maslow's theory.

A further treatment of the same can be found under the heading titled "The Themes Pertaining to Employment Concerns of the Disabled." This study, by identifying the various themes was able to offer an objective insight, and consequently a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of Employer's awareness about employment of the Disabled. As such, the researcher offers the suggestions for further actions needed to make ADA more adaptable and of practical use to enable the employers to accept and employ the provisions therein.

Section 3: Triangulation and Convergence, Corroboration, Correspondence of Qualitative and Quantitative Data The charts below assist the researcher in determining the awareness of different laws, scenarios and situations as based upon the 73 respondent's answers to the mailed surveys and they look at a number of variables that affect how the managers make decisions based upon whether to hire a disabled employee or not.

The charts present answers to individual questions and a comparison in both an overall status as well as on an individual basis is based upon the responses to the questions in a quantitative manner.

Qualitative Findings Survey and Verbatim Responses to Interview Questions for the 4 Qualitative Research Questions What level of knowledge do senior managers have pertaining to employer motivators for employing persons with disabilities? Out of 50 respondents, seven were of the view that the senior managers do have sufficient knowledge of economic motivators for employing people who have physical disabilities. Some responses that the researchers got were, " There is no direct benefit (economic) that my company would get by employing disabled people.

We would get tax incentives which work out only in the long run. ." 35 respondents were of the view that the senior managers did not possess sufficient knowledge about the economic motivators with respect to people with abilities.

" the factual expenses are limited to architectural changes which are way above what costs the organization would incur, there is an absence of reimbursement for the investments my organization makes." Another common response was that "Most of those with disabilities do not know what forms are to be filled that would help us show the authorities that we are complying with the norms." 8 respondents were seen to be uncertain about this situation as to whether incentives or economic motivators for hiring people with disabilities had a role to play and were of the view that they believed that if they had more knowledge about this matter, it would be helpful for them.

" what, if any, is the use of investing in infrastructure, if the employee does not come up to the standards required of him/her, in spite of providing the resources." What do senior managers believe are the most effective recommendations for improving the employment of persons with disabilities? The majority of responses with inclinations towards complying with ADA reflected, "an intermediary agency is the need of the hour, we should know that we do not lose by way of investments for the disabled people." Second important point is expressed in this reply, " Most of those approaching the jobs come with outdated skills, how about intervention?" Twenty out of the 50 respondents were of the view that their organization was lacking on many fronts.

They felt that they did not have the information that they required with respect to the employment of the people with physical disabilities. Ten respondents believed that they desired information based on reasonable accommodations as well as unreasonable accommodations, rights and responsibilities as an employer and 20 did not respond to this particular question.

Managers (usually the owners), stated clearly, "what exactly is reasonable accommodation? Even if we employ two people with different disabilities, it would mean conflicting or at least additional resources' deployment, does the incentive allow for it?" How does the American Disabilities Act (ADA) support the employment of individuals with disabilities? However, there is reason enough to believe that there is a fair amount of awareness regarding that ADA is a better move than earlier ones towards the concerns of the persons with disability, which is reflected in one response, " The tax incentives are something we need to appreciate, there are far too many people who can be brought into the mainstream from the local workforce ..

rather than outsourcing." Thirty-five out of the 50 respondents were of the view that the American Disabilities Act was an incredible organization that supported the employment of people with physical disabilities.

"The legislation is a sure way forward; it could do with some changes, like interventions, fear of legal sanctions and skill up-gradation." Five out of these respondents maintained a neutral stance, an example of which is found in the following response, "we are already doing it, wherever possible, where is the need to require of us in statutory terms?" whereas 8 were not sure whether or not they support ADA and 2 of the respondents did not have any knowledge about this organization.

The aforementioned were the qualitative questions that were asked of the respondents in the form of interviews. As it has been stated above, the responses to these questions revealed the candid thoughts of the employers. The quantitative questions were asked through the research survey, and the responses were then quantified in terms of x, which was the main result of the particular question and the standard deviation that was calculated for that value.

Quantitative Findings Descriptive Statistics Display Data The purpose of this study was to explore the situation of employment of people with disabilities in the light of the legislation of the federal and state governments with respect to rights and economic incentives that need to be given to the individuals that are physically challenged. The stated purpose of this study was achieved through conducting interviews and by circulating the survey questionnaires. In the interviews, 50 employers from metro Atlanta were asked to answer the open-ended questions of the interview.

Their results were then recorded. The second part of the research was based on the survey questionnaires, which helped to answer the quantitative questions of the research. There were 29 questions that were mailed to 300 employers in metro Atlanta, out of which only 73 returned the survey questionnaires. The results of the survey questionnaires and interviews were in accordance with the statistics or facts that have been stated in the literature review section of the paper.

Here, we shall particularly be discussing the results with respect to the economic incentives being given to the people with disabilities according to the state agencies and what is actually being implemented (Ashworth et. al, 2001). In Figure 4.1, answering the three quantitative research questions requires that respondents ascertain how the to the survey perceived the culture in which they are employed as well as their perceptions of the physical facilities and capabilities of the workplace environment in which they are gainfully employed.

What was discovered is that there is generally a negative perception on the part of the managers regarding the hiring and employment of disabled individuals in Atlanta. There is also an overall negative trend, as evidenced above, on the knowledge of certain important Acts and Laws that are important to the employment of the disabled. In this case, more people than not are aware of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, but it is certainly not an overwhelming majority.

A more positive perception of current law such as the American for Disabilities Act 1990 provides a somewhat better picture than the earlier law, which only makes sense based on its more recent enactment. Figure 4.2 shows that Although the managers have a knowledge and understanding of the ADA, it is much more likely that they do not have as much knowledge about local laws and regulations. Based upon the two charts below, one could safely surmise that the awareness of state and local laws lacks in an alarming manner.

The termination laws have not fared better concerning awareness with fifty-five percent of the respondents at least aware of the termination laws, as compared to the 60% that of the employers who were aware of the state and local laws about employment of people with physical disabilities.

Awareness of laws regarding employment of the disabled would (or should) at least be a major component in addressing the hiring of these individuals, and it could be said that one of the major reasons behind the less than adequate hiring of the disabled (at least in Atlanta) could be due to the fact that the awareness level is not where it should be.

Figure 4.4 shows that this is not just true in measuring the awareness of state and local laws, but it is also true in measuring specific requirements such as the laws and standards regarding the termination of employees with disabilities. What the less than adequate awareness influences is the relationship between the organizational culture and the job performance of disabled employees.

If the managers are not even aware of the requirements necessary for hiring and firing disabled employees, then the question can be asked if such employees will actually be hired in the first place. The hypothesis that managers are unduly influenced by the organizational culture is likely to be proven to be true since there does seem to be a significant relationship between organizational culture and the job performance of disabled employees in the workplace in Atlanta.

Figure 4.4 shows that such a statement as the one made above concerning the hypothesis of the organizational culture can be further justified by looking at the next three charts as they are presented below. The three charts; 1) job descriptions, 2) job analysis, and 3) job descriptions with demands, provides a more in-depth observation into the Atlanta workplace culture in order to ascertain if the managers know and understand the exact jobs they are responsible for filling.

It could be asked that if the managers don't have complete job descriptions or job descriptions with the demands of the job, and they do not analyze the positions regarding the best individual to be hired for the position, then how do the managers know that a prospect with a disability would not be a better fit for the position than a prospect without a disability? In Figure 4.5, the job description chart shows that nearly half the respondents did not even have access to complete job descriptions, and the job analysis chart further supports the assertion that employees are not even undergoing an analysis as to whether they fit the job's profile, or not.

This does not necessarily prove or disprove the hypothesis that senior manager's personal experiences with disabilities and employment of disabled persons affect the outcome of hiring the disabled, but it does lend credence to the idea that senior managers may not be gaining enough experiences with the disabled to develop significant relationships that can influence the manager's hiring and firing practices.

The job analysis chart provides substantiation to the fact that oftentimes the employees (whether they are disabled or not) are not even subject to an analysis that would document their appropriateness for the position. Almost six in ten employees do not undergo such an analysis.

The Figure 4.6 includes the job descriptions with the needed demands on the individual being hired is a very telling chart in that it adds to the belief that the workplace culture (at least in Atlanta) does not really address what is actually required of employees (or prospects) which leads one to wonder if managers do not even know what will be required of the employees, then how can the best employee be hired in the first place? This again lends credence to the supposition that managers are not really experiencing the correct situations as regarding the disabled employee.

Not only do the managers not have the necessary job descriptions, but the job descriptions that they do have may not include the necessary demands that the job will place on the employee(s). Nearly forty-two percent of the job descriptions did not include the demands that the job would entail, and forty-two percent is a high number when considering the amount of jobs that need to be filled on a daily basis.

Figure 4.7 shows information regarding the willingness to accept, hire, work with and make modifications for employees with disabilities. The next few slides, and especially the "Willing to Hire" slide, ascertain the fact that the managers are not necessarily evil individuals, but that they just might be caught in a culture (not of their own making) that precludes them from having the time or knowledge to seek out and hire those individuals best for the job, even if those individuals are disabled in some manner.

The next chart shows that a vast majority of managers surveyed were more than willing to hire disabled employees, with 93% of the respondents stating that they would be willing to do so. Figure 4.8 shows another positive aspect of the manager's responses is that 77% of the respondents agreed positively that they would be willing to make modifications to the job requirements in the future to accommodate employees who might be disabled.

According Figure 4.9, the manager's responses, 58% of the managers believed that the workplace (at least the workplace in which they were employed) was already handicap accessible or could easily be made so. This points to the fact that the majority of managers are at least cognizant of the fact that workplaces did have to be accessible to some degree in order to accommodate the handicapped employee.

Figure 4.10 shows that the downside of that question, the chart below demonstrates that current workplace environments may not be as readily accessible for the handicapped employee as what it could be with nearly 68% of the respondents replying negatively to the question asking whether the current workplace was accessible or not.

What this shows is that while the managers may be more than willing to make their respective workplaces accessible to the disabled, the current truth of the situation is that many workplaces are currently not as accessible as they could be. Figure 4.11 illustrates that accessibility is especially true for the application process. Most managers (58%) agreed with the statement that the hiring application process for the visual and sensory impaired individual is not as accessible as it could, or should be.

Figure 4.11 insists that not only is the application process more arduous than it should be (especially for disabled prospects) but as the chart above displays, a vast majority (68%) of managers also believe that current workplace modifications are not comprehensive enough to accommodate the disabled employee. The next five charts demonstrate the relationship between senior management perceptions of disabilities and the services that are available to the senior manager regarding policies and services that can be beneficial in the employment process especially concerning the disabled employee.

Managers are certainly aware of services, although not nearly as much as they should be. Only 45% have a comprehensive knowledge of the services available, and worse 81% of the policies and services are not even communicated to employees. Such non-communication shows a disconnect between the managers and the employees. In Figure 4.14, the managers seldom make use of the provided services, even if they do know about them. Only 25% of the managers had made use of the services according to the responses garnered from the surveys.

Figure 4.15 shows that managers are especially lacking in knowledge of the economic incentives available to companies that hire the disabled. Only 36% of the managers answered affirmatively to the question regarding knowledge of economic incentives, and only 15% of the managers had taken advantage of the offered economic incentives. This shows a vast disconnect between manager's knowledge of services and incentives and the use of the services that could be quite beneficial to the workforce and the company.

As the below Figure 4.16 displays, managers had only taken advantage of government incentives at a 15% rate as well. Whether the incentives are governmental in scope, or they are offered by the various groups and stakeholders, a 15% usage is extremely low and could be addressed with additional knowledge of the incentives in the first place.

In Figure 4.17, the easiest things that a company could do to address this issue of hiring disabled individuals would be to employ a specialist whose focus would be to work with disabled prospects in gaining employment with the company. Yet not one single positive response was garnered when asked if an in-house employment specialist had been hired, not one. Mean The responses of the employers were seen to be quite varied.

Most employers responded with the attitude that can be reflected in the following answer- " Larger organizations can accommodate variety of people with specific skills, in organizations of smaller size (like ours), multitasking is the norm." 25 respondents were of the view that the desire for the government to remain focused on the small sized companies pertaining to economic incentives was mainly because they lacked more in resources as compared to the bigger ones.

10 out of the 50 respondents stated that it is dependent on the size of the business as to whether the employer can accommodate people with physical disabilities. They said that it was hard to imagine being able to offer a person with physical disabilities a job that was based on many hours if the organization was a small sized one. Typically, " The competition in the market allows us to employ only the non-disabled who can take up various skills as the need arises. There are enough of them, to be frank.

"15 employers were of the view that their organization does not have sufficient information about the hiring people with physical disabilities since they do not feel the need to explore in this matter. One response is, "there are enough stipulations to comply with, we would be spread thinly if we were to keep updating with new ones" and, as if to extend the same thought, " our manager (HR) is already burdened with constantly upgrading the existing staff to perform outside their initially assigned domains ..

difficult to see how the persons with disability fit in .. it would add to the complications." They further said that the organizations will not look into this situation unless they are faced with it. Standard Deviation When asked pertaining to the awareness of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the results showed that 56% of the respondents were aware of this Act, meanwhile 44% of them were not. The x value was calculated to be 1.438 with a standard deviation of 0.499.

The results showed that 85% of the respondents were aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, whereas there were only 15% of the employers that did not have any knowledge about it. The x value calculated for this question was 1.150 with a standard deviation of 0.360. When asked about the awareness of the employers pertaining to the state and local laws about the employment of people with physical disabilities, 40% of the employers were not aware of these laws.

On the other hand, 60% of the employers that took part in the survey claimed that they are aware of it. The x value that was calculated for this question was 1.397, with a standard deviation of 0.492. Forty-five percent of the people claimed that they were not aware of the laws that exist pertaining to the termination of an employee with a physical disability, whereas 55% of these people were aware of these laws. According to the results, the x value calculated for this question as 1.452, with a standard deviation of 0.501.

The next question that was asked was about the job analysis of the positions that are there within the organization. In response to these questions, the x value was calculated to be 1.575 with a standard deviation of 0.497. 58% of the employers stated that they never went for any kind of job analysis; on the other hand 42% of the respondents were of the view that they had undergone job analysis in their organization. The x value was calculated to be 1.575, and the standard deviation was 0.497.

The next question that was asked in the research survey was about the employers having a complete description of every position in their organization. According to the results, the x value was calculated to be 1.5 with a standard deviation of 0.503. 49% of the employers claimed that they did have a complete description of every position; meanwhile a same percentage of the respondents answered this question in negative. 1 person chose not to respond to this question.

In order to rule out any ambiguity, the respondents that chose to answer this question in positive were asked if the description of the job positions in their organization also mentioned the description pertaining to the physical demands. In response to this question 31 respondents or 42% of the respondents said yes, meanwhile 38 or 52% of them claimed that their job description did not have a mention of the physical demands and mainly only included educational and environmental demands.

Analysis When the respondents were asked whether or not they were willing to hire people with physical disabilities, 93% of the respondents claimed that they would. On the other hand, 5% of the respondents said that they will not. 1 person did not respond to this question. The x value calculated for this question as 1.055 with a standard deviation of 0.230.

When the respondents were asked about their application process with respect to its accessibility to individuals that are suffering from visual or any other sensory impairment, only 38% of the respondents stated that they did. 58% of them claimed no. On the other hand, 2 people chose not to respond to this question. The x value calculated for this question was 1.6 with a standard deviation of 0.493.

When the employers were asked if they were equipped in such a way that they would hire a person with physical disability, 58% of the respondents claimed that they were and only 41% of these respondents were of the view that they were not. 1 employer did not respond to this question. According to the results of the question, the x value was calculated to be 1.416 and the standard deviation for this value was 0.496.

When the employers were asked whether not they were aware of the questions that they would expected to answered in the interview, 58% of them claimed that they were and 42% of them claimed that they were not. The x value calculated for this question as 1.242 with a standard deviation of 0.497. The next question was based on the accessibility of the organization or the workplace with respect to the people with physical disabilities. Based on the responses, the x value was calculated to be 1.126 with a standard deviation of 0.355.

The results implied that 85% of the employers said yes and 12% of them said no. 2 of the respondents did not answer this question. For clarification, respondents who answered yes to question thirteen were asked specifically what was accessible in their workplace this included entrance and exits 62 or 85% said yes, workstations 44 or 60% said yes, break rooms 39 or 53% said yes, and restrooms 45 or 62% said yes. The next question was asked about the consideration of job modifications.

According to the results that were obtained, the x value was calculated to be 1.222, with the standard deviation of 0.418. This implied that 77% of the employers answered yes, and 22% of them answered no. 1 of the respondents did not answer this question. The employers were then inquired about the provisions or any special arrangements that had been made to accommodate the people with physical disabilities. According to the results obtained, the x value was calculated to be 1.718 with a standard deviation of 0.453.

70% of the respondents answered this question in negative and 30% of them answered this question in positive. 2 people chose not to respond to this question. The next question that was made a part of the research survey was pertaining to the implementation of the steps that are required to remove the identified barriers with respect to the employment of the disabled people in the workplaces. According to the results of this survey, the x value calculated for this question was 1.608 with a standard deviation of 0.491.

This implied that 58% of the people answered no whereas 37% of the people responded yes to this question. 4 people chose not to respond to this question.

Charts Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2 Figure 4.3 Figure 4.4 Figure 4.5 Figure 4.6 Figure 4.7 Figure 4.8 Figure 4.9 Figure 4.10 Figure 4.11 Figure 4.12 Figure 4.13 Figure 4.14 Figure 4.15 Figure 4.16 Figure 4.17 Figure 4.18 Tables Likert Scale Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Knowledge of ADA and Employment Laws 12 18 27 9 14 Able to Obtain Relevant Information 4 23 30 32 11 Disabled Employees Effectively Accommodated 14 21 25 26 15 Company Capable of Providing Education to Employees 10 23 22 32 14 Adequate Knowledge in Hiring Process 10 30 27 19 14 Table 4.1 A Likert Scale depicting an overall sense of where the managers stood was developed from the returned surveys that illustrate the positive/negative aspect of the situation.

What this scale shows is that there are almost as many negatives as there are positives in the big employment picture in Atlanta. If the scale was a teeter-totter, it would slightly tip towards the positive aspects according to the manager's responses. This verifies the three different quantitative hypothesis could be said to be both proven and disproven. There are more positive signs than negative signs according to all the charts, but that does not mean there is still not a lot to do, there is.

This is especially true regarding knowledge of the various laws and incentives that could be taken advantage of in the Atlanta workplace(s). Inferential Statistics Hypothesis testing According to the results of the survey, the x (which us basically the p-value) value was found to 1.602 for the first question that was about the awareness of the employers about the legislation exists pertaining to the employment of the people with physical disabilities. The standard deviation of the x value was calculated to be 0.492.

The responses showed that 40 (29 respondents) percent of the respondents were aware of the legislation, meanwhile 60(44 respondents) percent were not. Results In response to the Quantitative question that asked whether or not any organization had an employee who became disabled at their workplace, 67 out of 73 replied in negative. Meanwhile 6 replied in positive. 92% of the respondents gave their answer as no and 8% gave their answer is yes. The p value calculated for this question as 1.917 and the standard deviation was 0.276.

The next question that was found on the survey was related to the fact that whether or not the employers had ensured that all the new procedures and policies were being reviewed so as to make sure that none of the identified or any new employment barriers do not form. The responses to this question showed that 58% of the people answered this question in negative and 40% of the people answered this question in positive. There were 2 people that did not respond to this question.

The x value that was calculated for this question was 1.591 with a standard deviation of 0.495. The employers were then asked whether or not they had any policies that had been stated in their mandate pertaining to the accommodation of people with disabilities. According to the responses of the employers, the x value was calculated to be 1.791 with a standard deviation of 0.408. The aforementioned values implied that 78% of the employers answered this question as a no, and 21% of the employers answered this question in yes.

1 person chose not to respond to this question. The next question was based on the policies that were talked about in the previous question (18). The question was about the policies being communicated to the new as well as the current employees. The x value calculated for this question as 1.808 with a standard deviation of 0.396. 81% of the respondents answered this question in and only 19% of them answered this question in yes. The employers were then asked whether or not they have made use of the supported employment services.

The x value that was calculated for this question was 1.746 and the standard deviation was 0.438. 73% of the respondents answered this question in negative and only 25% of them answered this question in positive. There were another 2 people that chose not to respond to this question. Next, the employers were asked if they were aware of the services that were provided by the supported employment agencies. The x value that was calculated on the basis of the results of this question was 1.541 with a standard deviation of 0.501.

This meant that 45% of the people gave the answer yes, 53% of the people gave the answer no and only 1 person did not give any answer to this question. The employers were then asked about the economic incentives in the next question. The economic incentives considered in this question were the ones mostly provided by the government agencies. According to the results of this question, the x value calculated was 1.638 with a standard deviation of 0.483.

36% of the people claimed that they knew about these incentives, and 63% of the people stated that they did not. 1 employer did not respond to this question. Next, the employers were asked about the use of economic incentives in order to hire the people with disabilities. According to the results that were obtained, it was found out that only 15% of the employers had used it, and 84% of them had not. Only 1 person did not respond to this question. The x value calculated for this question was 1.847, and the standard deviation is 0.362.

The next question was based on the availability of an in-house specialist who was there to assist in the hiring process and employment of the people with physical disabilities. The x value that was calculated with these results was 1.847 with a standard deviation of 0.362. The x value is clearly insignificant, as none of the employers said replied in yes to this question. 99% of the respondents gave the answer to this question in negative and 1 person did not reply to this question.

When the employers were asked about their knowledge pertaining to the ADA as well as other employment laws of the disabled people, it was found on a Likert scale that 14% of the people strongly agreed, 29% of the people agreed, 27% of the people were not sure, 18% of the people disagreed and 12% of the people strongly disagreed. The x value calculated for this question was 2.863 with a standard deviation of 1.228.

11% of the employers strongly agreed with the fact that their organization has been able to obtain the relevant information with respect to people with disabilities. 32% agreed with this statement, 30% were not sure, 23% disagreed, and 4% strongly disagreed. The x value calculated for this statement was 2.780, which was greatly insignificant and the standard deviation was calculated to be 1.057. 15% of the people strongly agreed that people with disabilities could be effectively accommodated in their companies. 26% of the people agreed with the statement, 25% were not sure, 21% disagreed, and 14% strongly disagreed.

The x value was calculated to be 2.917 with a standard deviation of 1.277. 14% of the employers strongly agreed when it was asked whether or not their company has the ability to provide education to other employees about working with physically disabled employees. 32% of the people agreed with the statement, 22% were unsure, 23% disagreed, and 10% strongly disagreed. The x value was calculated to be 2.835 with a standard deviation of 1.213.

When it was asked whether the organization has adequate knowledge about the hiring and employing people with physical disabilities, 14% of the people strongly agreed, 19% agreed, 27% were unsure, 30% disagreed and 10% strongly disagreed with the statement. The x value was calculated to be 3.027 with the standard deviation of 1.201. Discussion Interpretation of results The main purpose behind the formation of the ADA was to augment the rates of employment of the people with disabilities through the legalization of employment discrimination and rising workplace accessibility.

However, American with Disabilities Act has been confronted with a great deal of criticism mainly because of the lowering rates of employments by increasing the cost of hiring and firing the employees that suffer from physical disabilities because.