The purpose of this stud;'was to examine current trends in employer and potential employer attitudes regarding the hiring of individuals with different types of handicap. Highly or barely competent, hypothetical males and females with either paraplegia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or no handicap were evaluated by 334 upper division industrial technology students for the position of electrical technician. No differences were found in the evaluations of job candidates based on sex, or handicap vs. no handicap classifications; however, competence and type of hahdicap were found to affect decisions. Paraplegics received the most favorable ratings while those with multiple sclerosis received the poorest ratings in terms of both expected performance on the job and hiring decisions. The competence of an individual was clearly the most dominant factor in influencing evaluative decisions. Post hoc analyses revealed no differences between the attitudes of male and female raters toward the disabled, but significant interactions regarding salary recommendations. The implications of these results are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.
