Employer and employee concepts on disclosure of a Specific Learning Disability in the office environment

Webster, Terence (2013) Employer and employee concepts on disclosure of a Specific Learning Disability in the office environment. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

There has been limited research on the disclosing of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in employment in the Irish context, how both employer and employee conceptualize SLD’s.

This study explores the employer and employee perspectives of SLD.

An online survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with employers and employees, to explore their experiences of SLD disclosure.

The Office environment across the private and public sectors.

61 participants across a range of organizations and service levels, 6 of which where taken forward to semi-structure interview. Participants were selected through a process of self-selection sampling, reflecting variations in terms of age, grade and tenure.

Thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data from the survey and 6 semi-structured interviews, which then incorporated, limited quantitative data from the survey.

Two overall themes emerged, Self-determination and Communication and Understanding. Self-determination included the sub-themes: previous responses to SLD; stigma; personal conception of SLD; perceived advantages and disadvantages and level of self-determination. Sub-themes under Communication and Understanding included: Timing; information needed by employers; legislation and policy; understanding the employee and support and accommodation.

The findings suggest that both employers and employees conceptualize SLD as deriving from the Medical Model of disability, however they also view social solutions as imperative to alleviating any problems, which may arise from an SLD. Disclosure is seen as vital to both the accommodation of SLD’s from the employer perspective and to understanding and support from the employee perspective. Communication, timing and Self-determination are the underlying processes of SLD disclosure upon which the success of disclosure is bridged. There is limited knowledge of disclosure policies, disability legislation and of SLD definition.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Issues of Labour and Work > Employment of People with Disabilities L Education > LC Special aspects / Types of education > Learning disabilities
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	29 Nov 2013 15:35
Last Modified:	29 Nov 2013 15:35
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/903

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