How MBA programs can remove disability-related barriers

Equitable access to employment is a prerequisite for a just society, yet many job candidates struggle to find work aligned with their goals, needs and qualifications. This is especially true for job candidates with disabilities, who often experience barriers to entering the labour market and progressing in their careers.

This is a problem for the people affected, but also for society. Underemployment and unemployment create a host of financial and human costs carried by all. These include increased need for social support and mental health services, diminished tax revenues and reduced access to skilled workers. Overall, it means reduced community well-being.

Removing employment barriers for people with disabilities requires a multifaceted approach, but it starts with equitable access to education.

MBA degrees are considered the gateway to lucrative and influential senior positions, and they are increasingly required for promotion to mid-level managerial jobs. As a result, disability barriers in these programs represent a critical challenge to inclusion.

We examined these issues in a study of 184 prospective, current and former MBA students with disabilities. Varun Chandak, president of Access To Success, an organization that advocates for inclusive design and accessibility, was instrumental in initiating and providing practical support for this research.

We found that disability-related barriers surfaced as early as the application stage and continued to impact academic experience until graduation. This research explored the specific challenges that respondents experienced and their recommendations to improve inclusion.

Disability-related factors influenced these MBA students’ educational decisions from the start. Many candidates did not consider applying to certain programs based on program inflexibility, overly large class sizes, perceived stigma towards disability and inaccessibility.

Respondents were attracted to schools that demonstrated support by having physically accessible campuses, easily located accommodation policies, and students or faculty with disabilities in their promotion materials.

Overall, one in three respondents faced disability-related barriers during the application process. The accessibility of standardized tests required for entry into MBA programs (such as the GMAT and GRE) was a notable concern.

For example, respondents noted barriers when booking appointments and when attempting to use permissible accommodation-related software during the testing process. Many of the issues identified, however, particularly in the booking process, were very promptly addressed by the relevant organizations after receiving initial report data.

After entering a program, 57 per cent of respondents experienced disability barriers.