Ableism and Workplace Discrimination Among Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Young people with disabilities are persistently under-employed and experience concerning rates of discrimination and ableism in looking for work and within the workplace. Focusing on youth is salient because rates of ableism are often higher among younger ages compared to older. The objective of this systematic review was to explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities.

Systematic searches of seven databases from 2000 to 2021 were conducted. Four reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted the data and rated the study quality.

Of the 39 studies meeting our inclusion criteria, they represented 516,281 participants across eight countries over a 20-year period. The findings highlight the rates of workplace ableism, factors affecting workplace ableism (i.e., type of disability, gender, education level, lack of employers' knowledge about disability), ableism in job searching and anticipated ableism. The review also noted the impact of workplace ableism, which included pay discrimination, lack of job supports and social exclusion, job turnover and unemployment, and discrimination allegations and charges.

Our findings reveal the stark prevalence of workplace ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities. There is an urgent need for further in-depth research to understand youth's lived experiences of ableism and the development of solutions to address it so they can be included in a meaningful and respectful way in the workplace.