Disability and Employment in the United States

Filling a gap within the discipline, Disability and Employment in the United States is the first text to provide a broad overview of the connection between work and disability. Highlighting the experiences of disabled individuals who have worked despite social stigma, discrimination, hiring bias, and legal barriers, the main premise of the text is that contrary to myths, people with disability have always been an important part of the U.S. workforce.

The book begins with the influence of the Industrial Revolution, particularly social stratification based upon the supposed inability to work. Later chapters address disabled people’s pre-industrial work opportunities and careers in specialized trades and professions. The dawn of the disability rights movement in terms of labor is discussed, as well as employment legislation, from early colonial laws to the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. The book closes with chapters addressing vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Disability and Employment in the United States is an ideal text for courses in disabilities studies, labor relations, and vocational rehabilitation.