We are happy to share our new article on the impact of disability labels on relationship building at work that has just appeared at Human Relations! (see here).

Do disability labels have unintended negative consequences for workplace experiences of persons with disabilities? To test this assumption, we use a quasi-experimental study design and find that labeling as “severely disabled” leads to perceptions of fewer opportunities for relationship building at work. Our further results support the argument that the effect of the disability label might be primarily driven by self stigma rather than public stigma.

Hannah Kiesbye’s story was a true inspiration for our project. Hannah relabeled her severe disability ID card (Schwerbehindertenausweis) to severely ok ID card (Schwer-in-Ordnung-Ausweis), thereby starting an intense debate about disability labels in Germany. We are happy to contribute to this discussion with our publication!

Brzykcy , A. Z., & Boehm, S. A. (2021). No such thing as a free ride: The impact of disability labels on relationship building at work. Human Relations. doi: 10.1177/0018726721991609