Effects of seeking accommodation and disability on preemployment evaluations

Within the context of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, we examined the impact of requesting accommodation and having a disability on ratings of applicant suitability for employment. psychology students and h uman resources (HR) professionals reviewed application materials from a hyp othetical job candidate and then evaluated the candidate's qualifications f or the job. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 conditions that c onsisted of a candidate seeking or not seeking accommodation partially cros sed with disability type (none, physical, or psychiatric). Three potential covariates were considered: HR employment status, and knowledge of and atti tude toward the ADA. Results showed that asking For reasonable accommodatio n lowered suitability ratings, even when controlling for HR employment stat us, the only significant covariate. Also, a candidate with a psychiatric di sability was given significantly lower employment suitability ratings than was a candidate with no disability. Implications for applicants with disabi lities and employers are discussed.