Disqualified by default

1 min read · June 13, 2025
New Power Labs

Not all disabilities are perceived the same way.

This 2024 research by Kurtzberg and Ameri highlights how our attitudes shift depending on whether a disability is visible or invisible, and who the person is.

Two thousand participants were asked to evaluate a fictional character named Alex in a negotiation scenario. The script was identical, but the researchers varied Alex’s gender and disability, using visible (wheelchair use) and invisible (bipolar disorder) disabilities. 

The research revealed that a man in a wheelchair was rated as more competent, likable, and full of integrity, while a woman in a wheelchair was seen as nervous and in over her head, no matter if they both successfully negotiated.

The stakes are higher for people with a mental health diagnosis. Male and female Alex with bipolar disorder were rated lower in competence and integrity. But female Alex faced the steepest drop: even when she negotiated successfully, participants remained wary, describing her using words like “awkward” and “odd.”

Perceptions of capability erode when someone doesn’t fit the traditional mold. This shapes who gets hired, funded, promoted, or taken seriously.

If we want to value competence, we need to get better at recognizing when our idea of it is shaped more by stereotypes than by reality.

Narinder

New Power Labs

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