The Effect of Disability Onset on Employment Being Mediated by Disability Acceptance

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of disability onset on employment among workers with disabilities, taking into account the mediating effects of disability acceptance. The author adopted the approach used by Baron & Kenny (1986) to estimate three different regression equations. The data used are from the 4th Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (2011). In the first equation, the dependent variable (employment) was regressed on the independent variable (disability onset); in the second, the mediator (disability acceptance) was regressed on disability onset; and in the third equation, employment was regressed on disability onset and disability acceptance. The author found that the later the onset of disability, the lower the probability of employment. Also, later onset of disability was associated with lower disability acceptance. After controlling disability onset, disability acceptance affected employment significantly. Also, the effect of disability onset on employment was less in the 3rd equation than in the 1st equation. The findings suggest that disability acceptance has partial mediating effects on the relationship between disability onset and employment. Overall, the results point to the need for increased government support especially for people with late disability onset so that they can gain acceptance of their disability and increase the chance of their employment.