Before 1990, stereotypes, fears, or assumptions about someone with a disability often shaped workplace decisions. Many had little to no protection when they were treated unfairly during the hiring process or in their jobs.
When the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, it prohibited covered employers from discriminating against qualified people with disabilities. More than three decades later, however, people with disabilities still face much different employment outcomes than people without disabilities.
However, there has been some progress.
According to a U.S. Department of Labor survey, the percentage of companies employing at least one person with a disability increased from 18.4% in 2008 to 22.6% in 2018. The percentage actively recruiting people with disabilities also rose from 13.5% to 17.5%.
Still, those numbers meant that most employers weren’t really looking to hire differently-abled people.
The same Department of Labor report found that 86.7% of employers reported at least one concern about hiring people with disabilities. Some questioned whether these workers could safely perform required duties, while others worried about absenteeism or the cost of accommodations. Companies concerned about whether workers with disabilities could perform the job were also less likely to hire them.
This suggests that the problem is not always a lack of qualifications. It begins with what an employer assumes about an applicant before that person is given an opportunity.
A 2020 Kessler Foundation survey examined the experiences of recent college graduates with and without disabilities. Among unemployed graduates looking for work, 37% of those with disabilities said employers assumed they could not do the job, compared with 25% of graduates without disabilities. Graduates with disabilities were also more likely to report negative employer attitudes and lower pay offers.
Even earning a college degree does not close the gap.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2025 unemployment rate among adults with disabilities who had at least a bachelor’s degree was 5.3%. Among similarly educated adults without disabilities, it was 2.5%. Across every level of education, people with disabilities remained less likely to be employed.
The overall difference was even wider. In 2025, 22.8% of people with disabilities were employed, compared with 65.2% of people without disabilities. The unemployment rate among people with disabilities was 8.3%, about twice the 4.1% rate among people without disabilities. Although the population with disabilities is older on average, the employment gap appeared across every age group.
So, what has changed since 1990?
Workers with disabilities now have stronger legal protections, and more employers recognize their responsibility to provide equal opportunities. But the numbers show that legal rights have not yet produced equal results.
That makes the disability employment gap an ongoing problem, not simply a piece of history. When qualified and educated people are excluded because of assumptions about their abilities, workers lose opportunities and employers lose potential talent. Closing the gap will require more than following the law. It will require employers to examine how they recruit, evaluate, hire, accommodate, and support people with disabilities.
More than three decades after the ADA, many people with disabilities are educated, qualified, and ready to work. The next step is making sure they are no longer shut out.
This post was written by Marist Poll Media Team member Molly Goodger