Disability and work: from formal to substantive inclusion

Simply hiring a person with a disability is not enough to ensure their inclusion in the organization. Fifty percent of the disabled people surveyed in a study on the relationship between disability and work describe high levels of stress, while 40% report high levels of perceived discrimination. The main obstacle they face in the workplace is the pressure to continually prove that they are up to the task at hand. Even among those who are employed, fewer than four in ten feel that their skills are amply recognized or have confidence in their professional future.

The study, which was conducted in collaboration with Accenture Research and promoted by Fondazione Italiana Accenture ETS, Fondazione CDP (the nonprofit arm of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group), and E-work, calls for inclusion to be measured through the quality of work. Above all, companies should understand whether disabled people are able to contribute to the organization, develop their abilities, and build a career. Recognizing their rights must translate into recognizing their skills and aspirations.

The voice of the people

Management literature on disability has focused primarily on companies: recruitment, promotion, organizational conditions, and the role of managers and colleagues. Less explored, particularly in Italy, is the perspective of people with disabilities: what opportunities they see, what obstacles they encounter, and what they expect from work.

An earlier study by the same research team, People with disabilities and work: beyond barriers, examined the corporate perspective. Sixty percent of the companies surveyed claimed they had inclusion policies that went beyond legal requirements, while 73% also viewed inclusion as a voluntary choice and an opportunity. Many practices, however, were not firmly established and depended on the sensitivity of managers and work teams, organizational flexibility, and the availability of reasonable accommodations.

The new study shifts the focus to people with disabilities. How do they experience their relationship with work? What facilitates or hinders their participation in work-related activities, and why do some give up looking for a job? What role do families, public services, associations, and the Third Sector play?

Researchers also include the voices of caregivers, who support people on their paths toward autonomy and inclusion.

Obstacles and support

Conducted between May 2025 and September 2026, the study combines qualitative and quantitative methods. Semi-structured interviews with 20 people with disabilities and 10 caregivers informed the development of questionnaires, which were then administered to 252 people with disabilities and 152 caregivers. These tools were tested with members of the groups involved and shared with several associations. The sample overrepresents younger age groups, with particular attention to less visible disabilities, including mental health conditions. The findings therefore cannot automatically be generalized to the entire population of disabled people.

In any case, 44.8% of the sample population are employed, while 23.4% are unemployed and actively looking for work. The employment rate is 50% among people with a degree of disability below 66% and falls to 36% among those who are more seriously disabled.

• For those looking for work, the main difficulty is not being invited to interviews; this is followed by the perception that recruiters focus primarily on their disability, overlooking skills and résumés. Eighty percent disclose their disability from the early stages of the recruitment process, mainly to clarify their needs. Among those who do not, there is concern that this information may affect how their professional abilities are judged.
• Once a person is hired, however, the difficulties do not disappear. Among those who are employed, only 38.9% report high levels of recognition for their skills; 37.1% say they are very confident in their professional future, and 45.1% have high levels of job satisfaction. The pressure to prove one’s worth cuts across different disabilities and employment situations. High levels of stress are especially common among people with mental health conditions. Among the reactions to their disability, as described by respondents, the most common is the assumption that they cannot perform certain activities or work and they constantly need help.
• The family provides encouragement and protection, especially to younger people. But greater protection is associated with higher levels of disability-related stress: a relationship that suggests tension with the need for autonomy, without establishing a causal link. Outside the family, 53.3% of caregivers have a very positive view of how well sports activities accommodate disabilities, compared with 21.1% for the support provided during compulsory education.
• Personal networks, associations, and the third sector help people access information and opportunities, often compensating for institutional shortfalls. People become aware of their rights primarily through personal networks, followed by associations, social assistance organizations, and trade unions. This gives rise to an equity issue: The risk is that opportunities are contingent on the ability of individuals and families to build relationships and navigate services.

Women, predominantly mothers, account for 81% of the caregivers in the survey. In addition to providing care, they seek information, build networks, and act as intermediaries with institutions and services. On a scale from 1 to 7, their perceived social recognition of their role stands at just 3.8, while the impact of caregiving on their own lives reaches 5.7, and the neglect of their personal lives, 5.2. For caregivers, the autonomy of the person they support takes priority over employment itself, as a prerequisite for making decisions, achieving financial independence, and developing independent relationships.

Four transitions

The road ahead can be summarized in four transitions, involving both companies and policymakers:

• From formal recognition to substantive recognition.
• From job placement to the quality of the employment journey.
• From individual sensitivity to organizational responsibility.
• From informal networks to a coordinated ecosystem.

The quality of inclusion cannot depend on the sensitivity of individual managers. Instead, the findings point to the need to support the entire employment journey: assigning roles that match people’s skills, offering training and career prospects, and providing flexibility and reasonable accommodations. Countering stereotypes and alleviating the stress associated with belonging to a minority group must become organizational responsibilities, supported by established practices.

Policy priorities include strengthening support from employment services, simplifying procedures and access to information, training staff, and coordinating with the third sector. Personalized training and school-to-work transition programs are needed, along with tools that recognize caregivers’ skills and support their entry or reentry into the workforce.

Simona Cuomo, Zenia Simonella (SDA Bocconi), Arianna Gagliardi (Accenture Italy), Serena Bertoldi (Fondazione CDP, the nonprofit arm of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group), Disability and work: listening to people’s voices.