Beyond Accommodation: Conceptualizing Disability Health Management for Employees with Disabilities in Malaysian Public Universities

Abstract

Employees with disabilities may face workplace challenges that go well beyond physical access. These can include difficulties securing reasonable accommodation, risks associated with disclosure, psychosocial strain, inaccessible work systems, occupational health and safety concerns, inconsistent supervisory support, and barriers to career progression. Such challenges can be especially complex in higher education institutions, where academic and non-academic staff work across varied organizational, physical, digital, and professional settings.Although international rights frameworks and Malaysian disability and higher-education policies support disability-inclusive employment, institutional responses may still be fragmented across human resource management, disability support services, occupational safety and health, facilities,information technology, wellness services, and line management. This conceptual paper proposes Disability Health Management as an integrated, rights-based organizational approach to supporting the health, functioning, safety, inclusion, and sustainable work participation of EWD in Malaysian public universities. Drawing on the Social Relational Model of Disability, the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and Job Demands–Resources theory, the paper develops a provisional conceptual framework organized around nine interconnected domains: governance and accountability; safe disclosure and confidentiality; reasonable accommodation and assistive technology; accessible physical and digital environments; occupational health, safety and emergency preparedness; psychosocial well-being and anti-ableism; supervisor and workforce capability; career sustainability, retention and progression; and monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement.In doing so, the framework moves disability management beyond isolated accommodation towards a coordinated university workplace system.It also provides a theoretical foundation for the later empirical development, validation, and implementation testing of a context-specific DHM Model in Malaysian public higher education institutions.