Disability is a word most people are familiar with. Other words are blind, deaf, autistic…but have you ever stopped to wonder how many people suffer from a disability? Not all disabilities are visible. The person sitting across from you on the train might be suffering from depression. The person ahead of you in line in the supermarket might be suffering from ME and this is the first day they’ve ventured out in weeks. Such a simple task as going to the shops could be a mammoth undertaking for them, but these people still need to work. Relying on benefits is no guarantee of security as they can be given or taken away at the whim of any government.
1 in 5 people have a disability of one sought or Another. Of those, only half who are of working age are in employment. As of September 2022, the employment rate of disabled people was 56% compared to 82% of non-disabled people. 54% of employers were reluctant to hire disabled staff because they believed they wouldn’t be able to do the job. That might sound like a legitimate concern, but I know from personal experience that it’s more often used as an excuse.
I’m totally blind and I once applied for a volunteer role, only to be told I wasn’t suitable because the building had stairs. I pointed out that the problem I had was with my eyes, not my legs, and was ignored, which leads me on to the topic of discrimination in the workplace. Despite the government making it illegal to discriminate against people on the grounds of disability, discrimination in the workplace is all too real. I myself have been lucky enough not to experience it, but as these next statistics will show, for some people it has led to them leaving their work and suffering a dip in their self-confidence.
28% of disabled people who had fallen out of work said they had experienced discrimination. 90% of disabled people who have experienced discrimination in the workplace said it was a contributing Factor to them leaving their job and the treatment they received had a negative effect on their confidence and self-worth. These statistics come from Scope, a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting disabled individuals and their families.
It doesn’t make for pleasant Reading, but the situation can be changed. Again, I speak from personal experience. During my last job at a college near where I live, I actually witnessed people’s attitudes towards me change. Students went from ignoring me completely to calling out to me as I passed and moving things out of my way so I wouldn’t trip. I like to think that the student classes I did on living with a visual impairment contributed to this change.
If you’re hiring a disabled person and you have concerns about their ability to do the job, ask them. Don’t assume they can’t do it. Find out what they need help with. You might be surprised. There is so much equipment and technology around these days that has contributed to disabled people making leaps and bounds in their independence. There is also government support that will enable workplaces to make reasonable adjustments for staff. These statistics can be changed, but that change has to start with you.