Which concept refers to denial of employment opportunities based on factors not related to productivity, such as race, sex, or age?

• A. Ableism
• B. Access discrimination
• C. Adverse impact
• D. Ageism

Answer: (B)

Access discrimination is the idea that people can be denied employment opportunities because of characteristics not related to their ability to do the job—factors like race, sex, or age. This focuses on who is allowed to apply, be interviewed, or be considered for a position based on irrelevant traits, rather than on actual productivity or qualifications.

Ableism would target biases against people with disabilities, which is narrower than the broad range of nonproductive factors listed. Adverse impact describes the negative effect of a policy on a protected group, regardless of intent, but it’s about the policy’s outcome rather than the specific act of denying opportunities based on non-work-related characteristics. Ageism targets discrimination specifically due to age, and while age fits the example, the broader term that covers multiple nonproductive factors is access discrimination.