The relationality of workplace accessibility – employers’ perceptions of accessibility and the impact on recruitment of wheelchair users

Field experiments have demonstrated unequal treatment of wheelchair users on the labour market. This study relies on qualitative interviews with employers previously involved in a field experiment and focuses on perceptions of workplace accessibility. The findings demonstrate three different groups of employers: the physically bounded, the unconcerned and the accommodating employers which have different perceptions of workplace accessibility. The results imply that workplace accessibility is not solely a matter of physical architecture. Instead, a relational approach to workplace accessibility is proposed. What is considered inaccessible at one workplace might not be perceived as inaccessible by employers at other workplaces. Employers’ perceptions of workplace accessibility are shown to be a contributing factor to the unequal treatment of applicants. The results also demonstrate an asymmetrical relation between employers and applicants using a wheelchair that seems to reduce the agency and adaptability of wheelchair users in the recruitment process.