Intersectionality and Disability Harassment: The Interactive Effects of Disability, Race, Age, and Gender

A possible interaction among the characteristics of disability, race, gender, and age was examined with respect to formal allegations of disability harassment. Using data from the National Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Research Project, the authors examined whether there was an interaction among disability, gender, age, race, and employer characteristics when considering the proportion of harassment versus other forms of discrimination allegations. Using Exhaustive Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (Exhaustive CHAID) analysis, the authors detected several interaction effects. They discovered unique clusters of characteristics that place certain groups at a very high and very low risk for experiencing disability harassment. The findings are discussed in the context of past and future research on intersectionality and workplace implications.