THE REALITY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN EFFECTING EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES IN PRIVATE SECTOR IN SAUDI ARABIA

The study aimed to identify (1) the number of male and female employees with disabilities in the Saudi labor market, (2) the barriers that individuals with disabilities face in the workplace, (3) the attitudes of employers and co-workers toward employees with disabilities, (4) the jobs that suit each category of disabilities, (5) the training needs for each category of disabilities, and (6) the incentives that encourage the workplace to provide job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The study also surveyed national, regional and international experiences in the field providing individuals with disabilities with employment in order to benefit from them in the Saudi context. The participants were 1195 individuals with various disabilities, 554 parents of individuals with disabilities, 264 employers, 250 co-workers, and 180 teaching staff members.
Instruments used in the study included a scale for the barriers to the employment of people with disabilities (from the perspective of employers), a scale for the barriers to the employment of people with disabilities (from the perspective of parents of individuals with disabilities), a scale for the barriers to the employment of people with disabilities (from the perspective of individuals), a scale for the attitude toward the employment of people with disabilities in the labor market (from the perspective of individuals with disabilities), a scale for the attitude toward the employment of people with disabilities in the private sector Scale (from the perspective of employers and co-workers), a checklist for the incentives proposed to encourage the labor market to employ individuals with disabilities (from the perspective of employers), and a checklist for the jobs and training needs for each category of disability. The results were as follows:

- The barriers relevant to the education and training of individuals with disabilities came first from the perspective of employers, followed by barriers relevant to search for employment and barriers relevant to the work phase.
- The barriers relevant to individuals with disabilities search for employment came first from the perspective of parents, followed by barriers relevant to the work phase and barriers relevant to education and training.
- From the perspective of individuals with disabilities, barriers relevant to training and education came first, followed by barriers relevant to search for employment and barriers relevant to the work phase.
- Individuals with disabilities reported negative attitudes toward their employment in the labor market.
- Employers and co-workers reported negative attitudes toward the employment of individuals with disabilities in the labor market.
- There were no statistically significant differences between male and female employees with disabilities concerning the attitude toward the employment of individuals with disabilities in the labor market.
- There were statistically significant differences concerning the attitude toward the employment of individuals with disabilities in the labor market between employers and co-workers in favor of employers, i.e., employers' attitudes are more positive than those of co-workers.