The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #57450

Marjorie L. Baldwin, PhD, W.P. Carey School of Business - Health Administration and Policy, Arizona State University, PO Box 874506, Tempe, AZ 85287-4506, 4809657868, marjorie.baldwin@asu.edu

This project presents estimates of disability-related discrimination from the 1996 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The methods used are identical to those employed by the author in previous studies of disability-related discrimination with the 1990 SIPP (Baldwin and Johnson, 2000), so results can be compared to determine the extent to which mean wages and employment rates of persons with disabilities have changed in the years following passage of the ADA.

Estimates of disability-related discrimination are derived using a decomposition technique that separates the difference in mean wages of two groups of workers into an explained part attributed to differences in productivity-related characteristics, and an unexplained part attributed to discrimination. The decompositions are based on preliminary wage models estimated with multivariate regression techniques. Key explanatory variables in the models include workers’ demographic characteristics, education and work experience, job characteristics, and functional limitations associated with health conditions.

Separate estimates are presented for workers with disabilities subject to more or less prejudice, as measured by scales of attitudes toward different health impairments (Royal and Roberts 1987; Westbrook et al. 1993), to test the hypothesis that prejudice is an important source of disability-related discrimination. Separate estimates are also presented for workers who have disabilities that are visible and have jobs that require customer interaction, vs. other workers with disabilities, to test the hypothesis that customers are an important source of disability-related discrimination. The project represents the first empirical attempt to identify potential sources, other than employers, of labor market discrimination against workers with disabilities.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• 1. compare wage differentials between disabled and non-disabled persons in 1990 and 1996 to determine if the differentials have narrowed in the post-ADA period
• 2. compare estimates of disability-related discrimination in 1990 and 1996 to evaluate the hypothesis that discrimination has lessened in the post-ADA period
• 3. evaluate evidence on the correlation between disability-related discrimination and the intensity of prejudice toward different health impairments
• 4. evaluate evidence on the correlation between disability-related discrimination and the extent of direct customer interaction with a disabled employee

Keywords: Disability, Economic Analysis

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.