WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly prohibit discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of disability?

The term ‘disability’ includes general references to disabilities (‘handicap’, ‘impaired’, or ‘special needs’), or specific mentions of mental, intellectual, sensory, or physical disabilities. For the purposes of this variable, the term “disability” captures all of these definitions.

Hiring or recruitment includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discrimination during pre-employment, or the hiring or recruitment process.

No prohibition means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of disability. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment means that legislation prohibits discrimination in hiring or recruitment generally— for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of disability.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of disability, but does not explicitly address discrimination in hiring nor recruitment on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work.

Yes, disability-based prohibition means that legislation either: a) extends an explicit disability-based prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment, or b) extends a broad prohibition of disability-based workplace discrimination alongside a general prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment to all workers.

Countries

Argentina - No prohibition

Bhutan - No prohibition

Botswana - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Chad - No prohibition

Comoros - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

Equatorial Guinea - No prohibition

Eritrea - No prohibition

The Gambia - No prohibition

Greenland - No prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Kyrgyzstan - No prohibition

Lesotho - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Pakistan - No prohibition

Papua New Guinea - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Somalia - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Eswatini - No prohibition

Switzerland - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Uruguay - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Afghanistan - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Cabo Verde - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Iraq - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Libya - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Russian Federation - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Syria - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

United Arab Emirates - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Bahrain - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Cuba - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Czech Republic - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

India - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Jamaica - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Madagascar - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Nepal - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Nigeria - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Oman - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Paraguay - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Qatar - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Thailand - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Yemen - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on disability

Albania - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Algeria - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Andorra - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Angola - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Antigua and Barbuda - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Armenia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Australia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Austria - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Azerbaijan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Bahamas - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Bangladesh - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Barbados - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Belarus - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Belgium - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Benin - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Bolivia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Brazil - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Bulgaria - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Burkina Faso - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Burundi - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Cambodia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Cameroon - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Canada - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Central African Republic - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

China - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Costa Rica - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Cote d'Ivoire - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Croatia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Cyprus - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Denmark - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Djibouti - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Dominican Republic - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Ecuador - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Egypt - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Estonia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Ethiopia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Fiji - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Finland - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

France - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Gabon - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Georgia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Germany - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Ghana - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Greece - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Grenada - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Guatemala - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Guinea - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Guyana - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Haiti - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Honduras - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Hungary - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Iceland - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Indonesia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Ireland - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Israel - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Italy - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Japan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Jordan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Kazakhstan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Kenya - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Kiribati - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Republic of Korea - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Laos - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Latvia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Lebanon - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Liberia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Liechtenstein - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Lithuania - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Luxembourg - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

North Macedonia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Malawi - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Malaysia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Maldives - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mali - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Malta - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Marshall Islands - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mauritania - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mauritius - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mexico - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Moldova - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Monaco - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mongolia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Montenegro - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Morocco - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Mozambique - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Myanmar - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Namibia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

The Netherlands - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

New Zealand - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Nicaragua - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Niger - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Norway - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Palau - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Panama - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Peru - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

The Philippines - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Poland - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Portugal - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Romania - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Rwanda - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Samoa - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Sao Tome and Principe - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Saudi Arabia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Senegal - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Serbia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Seychelles - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Sierra Leone - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Slovakia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Slovenia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

South Africa - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

South Sudan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Spain - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Sri Lanka - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

St. Lucia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Sweden - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Tajikistan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Tanzania - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Timor-Leste - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Togo - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Tunisia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Türkiye - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Turkmenistan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Tuvalu - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Uganda - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Ukraine - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

United Kingdom - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

United States of America - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Uzbekistan - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Venezuela - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Vietnam - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Zambia - Yes, disability-specific prohibition

Zimbabwe - Yes, disability-specific prohibition