Commitment to work and the self-perception of disability

Population surveys of the disabled frequently show large numbers of persons who report work activity despite a simultaneous response indicating that they are severely disabled. Using multinomial logit analysis, this article examines the characteristics of persons who express such a commitment to work. The characteristics examined are sex, race, age, family size, education, marital status, health status, and length of work experience prior to onset of disability. The logit analysis allows us to see which of these variables predict work behavior. Data from the 1972 Survey of Disabled and Nondisabled Adults and the 1974 Followup Survey are used. Data are shown in cross section (1972 and 1974) and longitudinally (patterns of change from 1972 to 1974). In 1972, the less severe the level of health problems, the higher the level of education, being male, and needing to help relatives financially were traits associated with the probability of working despite self-report of severe disability. Those who received funds from public income maintenance were not likely to have worked. Essentially, the same findings were obtained for 1974 cross sectionally and 1972-74 longitudinally. Comparison was also made between those severely disabled persons who worked full time and those who worked part time, for both 1972 and 1974. Basically, age and severity of health condition were associated with the probability of working full time as opposed to part time, suggesting that it is a work/no work decision that is more likely to discriminate among the work commitments of the severely disabled than is the type of work schedule.