Equity in Social Work Employment: Opportunity and Challenge for Social Workers with Disabilities

• Background and purpose

Within the U.S., people with disabilities (PWDs) are employed at a low rate, and those who are in the labor force experience much higher rates of unemployment across all levels of education (U.S. Department of Labor, 2016).  There is a small body of research about employment of PWDs that addresses barriers to recruitment, stable employment, and full inclusion in the workplace.  However, within the field of social work, little has been explored regarding employment of PWDs, or their experiences when employed. The purpose of this study was to explore social work employment from the perspective of professional social workers with disabilities. Our research question was "what are social workers with disabilities perspectives on seeking, obtaining, and maintaining social work employment?"

• Methods

This was a qualitative, descriptive inquiry exploring barriers and opportunities to employment for social workers with disabilities. Participants were recruited using social media posts and contacting participants from a previous study. The 15 participants were all graduates of accredited social work programs: half had obtained both BSW and MSW degrees.  They reported one to five ADA disability types each including:  psychiatric (5), physical (2) medical (5) sensory (2), and neurological (8).  Through semi-structured individual interviews conducted in 2016, participants were asked about the nature of their disability and needed accommodations, experiences seeking employment, and experiences working as social workers.  The researchers used a thematic coding process which involved open coding for themes that emerged from the data, identifying patterns and links between themes, and continually working back and forth with the data, themes, and between researchers until larger thematic categories and subthemes were apparent.

• Results

The findings emerging from the data are grouped according to challenges and benefits. Generally, disability was challenging to navigate and negotiate in social work employment.  The sub-themes related to challenges that emerged were difficulties in the pursuit of employment, the need for accommodation, lack of feeling accepted and supported, and not being able to fulfill their potential as a social worker.  An overarching theme that emerged from the data was a sense of disappointment in the profession of social work and social work employers. Themes and sub-themes around what works and what could be better to ensure the inclusion of qualified social work professionals with disabilities were also present in the data. That opportunity is possible was felt more as an exception and a surprise by those given it. 

Universally participants reported that they were better social workers due to their experience with disability. 

• Conclusions

The challenge of equal opportunity in social work employment for qualified social workers with disabilities is evident in the findings of this study. Our profession must examine how disability can be embraced within the tapestry of diversity.  Employers can strive to achieve equal opportunity, equity, and justice through a more nuanced and enlarged understanding of the potential for the inclusion of PWD than our participants’ experience reveals.   

References

U.S. Department of Labor (2016). Persons with a disability: Labor force characteristics 2015, USDL-16

1248. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf