Barriers to Participation in Workplace Wellness Programs for People With Disabilities.

Abstract

As workplace wellness programs become increasingly popular, many concerns have been raised that these programs are inaccessible or infringe upon the legal rights of people with disabilities. In response to those concerns, we investigated the experiences of workers with disabilities with barriers to access for workplace wellness programs. We disseminated an electronic survey and conducted a descriptive statistical analysis assessing the demographics, behavior, and attitudes of people with disabilities toward workplace wellness programs. We found that the largest barriers to workplace participation are lack of access to careers dominated by large employers who offer more employee benefits and issues regarding barriers to access within those employers. These findings indicate that there are significant barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in the workplace.