This study investigated barriers to employment for persons with disabilities as correlate of economic contribution to national development: The case of Owerri, Nigeria. A survey of fi ft y (56) persons with disabilities of which 52 were applicants and four were already in the workforce in Owerri, Nigeria constituted the sample for the study. Three null hypotheses guided the study. A twenty (20) item questionnaire with a modified four point Likert scale and reliability coeffi cient of 0.79 was used to canvass responses of the purposively sampled participants on barriers to employment for persons with disabilities as correlate of economic contribution to national development. The data collected were statistically analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. The findings revealed that social stigma, competitive Nigeria labour market and employers’ undue focus on the disability statistically relate with economic contribution to national development. Recommendations were made among others that there should be enactment of laws which will favour employment of persons with disabilities in public and organized private sectors. In this regard, a specifi.c percentage or quota should be allotted to the persons with disabilities in compliance to UNESCO mandate. Similar laws are in operation in some developed countries; Nigeria should adopt such a law to give to these persons a pride of place in the society.

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