Contextual Factors and Help Seeking Behaviors of People With Disabilities

Abstract

The objective of this article is to provide a framework of contextual factors that affect help seeking expectancies and behaviors of people with disabilities. In particular, drawing on theories from disciplines such as social, cognitive, and educational psychology, I outline work unit norms (i.e., dependence, inclusion) and coworker perceptions (i.e., similarity, fairness) that influence help seeking expectancies and behaviors of people with disabilities. I discuss theoretical extensions of the framework in terms of attributes of the person with a disability, effects of time, and the notion of an inclusionary environment for people with disabilities. Finally, I discuss implications for human resource development professionals.

Lessons Learned from Community Organizations: Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Others

“…Current organizational prescriptions therefore include: (a) recruiting, selecting, evaluating and rewarding people with disabilities based upon job descriptions; (b) training and development of people with disabilities accompanied by mentor programmes, rehabilitation, work accommodation and work redesign; (c) disability awareness training and supervisory training; and (d) stakeholders' support such as from top managers, social service agencies, therapists, labour unions and families (Bell, 2007;Jones, 1997;Klimoski and Donahue, 1997). inclusive work units and co-worker perceptions) have been proposed to foster their help seeking behaviour (Kulkarni, 2012). inclusive work units and co-worker perceptions) have been proposed to foster their help seeking behaviour (Kulkarni, 2012).…”

“…More recently, inclusive social contexts for people with disabilities (i.e. inclusive work units and co-worker perceptions) have been proposed to foster their help seeking behaviour (Kulkarni, 2012). Despite these efforts, disability discrimination at work is still rampant worldwide (International Labour Office, 2012).…”

The Unheard, Unseen, and Often Forgotten

“…In HRDR , three articles were identified with the key words “disabilities,” “disabled,” or “disability” which were authored or co-authored by Kulkarni and her colleagues. The articles covered career advancement and social networks of PWD (Kulkarni, 2012b), help-seeking behaviors (Kulkarni, 2012a), and obstacles to success in the workplace (Kulkarni & Lengnick-Hall, 2014). In HRDQ , four articles were identified.…”

“…Within the United States, PWD encounter hardships locating and securing suitable employment, and maintaining a job (Kulkarni, 2012a). This “hardship” originates part and parcel from the disablist attitudes employers hold of the low demonstrable worth of the disabled in workplaces (Nota, Santilli, Ginevra, & Soresi, 2014; Stone & Colella, 1996).…”

The Role of Co-Workers in the Return-to-Work Process

“…Also relevant are the characteristics of the accommodation (the perceived fit between the impairment and the accommodation), the interpersonal history with the accommodated employee (whether the person is liked, valued, or an existing member of the work group), characteristics of the co-workers themselves (such as the capacity to tolerate uncertainty, coping skills, and psychological well being), and the organisation's general adherence to procedural justice (Colella, 2001;Colella et al, 2004). The disability literature has further shown that ongoing support for a disabled employee requires co-worker involvement in the planning, monitoring, and review of the work integration process (Colella, 1994;Kulkarni, 2012).…”