The effect of legislation on perceived disability discrimination: a heterogeneous difference-in-differences analyses

Equalizing opportunities and outcomes between individuals with and without disabilities is a stated goal for most governments in Western welfare democracies. Yet, significant disability-based inequalities remain in many domains of life. One of the causes of this gap is the widespread discrimination of individuals with disabilities. Over the last two decades, most European countries have introduced anti-discrimination legislation to reduce disability-based discrimination. This study examines the impact of anti-discrimination legislation on perceived disability discrimination across 28 European societies using data from the European Social Survey and newly compiled information on disability-related laws. Using a heterogenous difference-in-differences approach, our analysis covers the period from 2002 to 2020, focusing on adults aged 25 to 64 who report disabilities. We find no evidence that anti-discrimination legislative changes reduced perceived disability discrimination in the analyzed countries. There is some supporting evidence, though, that the adoption of an anti-discrimination legal framework, in the long run, was linked with higher perceived disability discrimination among males. We conclude that across Europe, and in keeping with the persistence of disability-based inequalities, legislative efforts have so far been ineffective in combating disability discrimination as perceived by people with disabilities.