Workers with Disabilities: Exploring the Hiring Intentions of Nonprofit and For-profit Employers

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a conceptual framework, focus groups were held with nonprofit and for-profit employers in order to examine behavioral intentions to hire workers with disabilities. Content analysis revealed the following main themes: (1) For-profit hiring strategies were driven by a mission to sell a product or service; (2) Nonprofit hiring strategies were driven by a mission to serve the community; (3) Forprofit hiring and nonprofit hiring were impacted by the economy; (4) Although driven to have diverse workforces, the number of workers with disabilities was largely unknown; and (5) Employer attitudes mattered and impacted job opportunities for people with disabilities. Implications of this qualitative study highlight the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the role that nonprofit managers and leaders may play in improving employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.