Abstract
Access to certain aviation careers has been limited for people with disabilities. This paper discusses the integration of hiring disabled individuals into the aviation industry and examines disabled individuals' perceptions of and confidence in aviation industry employment. The study included responses from 13 out of 15 former Able Flight participants. Themes examined include the impact of the Able Flight program on participants' views of potential employment within the aviation industry and how the aviation industry would be impacted by hiring disabled individuals. Results indicated disabled individuals are confident in their abilities and feel they would easily translate into the aviation industry. However, exposure and education to a highly competitive industry is a major concern. The paper suggests taking a more educational approach to address the issue and examines the adaptive nature of disabled individuals in a highly technological environment.
Keywords
able flight, disability, integration, aviation, industry, employment
Date of this Version
4-2013