According to some recent studies from Social Sciences, when it comes to finding appropriate jobs, people with disabilities are still heavily disadvantaged (Aichner 2021, Ali et al 2011). This is mainly due to negative prejudices by employers, who often think that people with disabilities can’t perform as efficiently as non-disabled workers. These prejudices have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities who are looking for a job or that are currently working. Whether it is because companies are not hiring a person with a disability or because they are not fully using their employee’s skills, they are missing out important opportunities and ultimately hurting their firm’s profitability and success. Notwithstanding, some companies from the field of Information Technology have recognized the importance of hiring disabled people (Accenture et al 2018). For instance, they have realized that some computer-assisted activities can be performed by blind people or people with severe motor disabilities. The increasingly frequent possibility of working from home also facilitates the integration of these people into the world of work. Starting from these assumptions, the study will focus on inclusion policies related to disabled people promoted by some companies from the technological field. In particular, website sections devoted to inclusion and diversity of five tech giants, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, will be explored. Methodology will be based on studies from Multimodal analysis (Wignell, O’ Halloran, Tan 2018; Jewitt, Bezemer, Halloran 2016, O’ Toole 2011; Kress, Van Leeuwen 1996/ 2001) and corporate identity discourse (Brown 2006; Boje 2001). In short, the study will attempt to analyse corporate awareness related to disability and promotion of inclusiveness while offering job opportunities to disabled people.

Why hire disabled people? Corporate inclusive policies by three tech giants

Stefania D'Avanzo
2022

Abstract

According to some recent studies from Social Sciences, when it comes to finding appropriate jobs, people with disabilities are still heavily disadvantaged (Aichner 2021, Ali et al 2011). This is mainly due to negative prejudices by employers, who often think that people with disabilities can’t perform as efficiently as non-disabled workers. These prejudices have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities who are looking for a job or that are currently working. Whether it is because companies are not hiring a person with a disability or because they are not fully using their employee’s skills, they are missing out important opportunities and ultimately hurting their firm’s profitability and success. Notwithstanding, some companies from the field of Information Technology have recognized the importance of hiring disabled people (Accenture et al 2018). For instance, they have realized that some computer-assisted activities can be performed by blind people or people with severe motor disabilities. The increasingly frequent possibility of working from home also facilitates the integration of these people into the world of work. Starting from these assumptions, the study will focus on inclusion policies related to disabled people promoted by some companies from the technological field. In particular, website sections devoted to inclusion and diversity of five tech giants, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, will be explored. Methodology will be based on studies from Multimodal analysis (Wignell, O’ Halloran, Tan 2018; Jewitt, Bezemer, Halloran 2016, O’ Toole 2011; Kress, Van Leeuwen 1996/ 2001) and corporate identity discourse (Brown 2006; Boje 2001). In short, the study will attempt to analyse corporate awareness related to disability and promotion of inclusiveness while offering job opportunities to disabled people.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/489332
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