Comments on: Employing Disabled People Isn’t An Act Of Charity

By: Pippa

Pippa — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 13:16:57 +0000

In reply to MC. Thanks for sharing this MC, I completely agree with you and I'm so glad to hear that you've managed to find things that work for you. Thanks for letting me know about your film, I must remember to check it out!

By: MC

MC — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 22:51:33 +0000

Thank you for this post. I find disabled people would rather work a steady job, but many in society assume we would rather be on disability benefits which I find insulting. I have a physical disability and have indeed been able to find jobs. I enjoyed one job in particular working with kids who were autistic. Since they already accommodated the disabled children it was no problem for them to do the same for a disabled adult. My college also easily and successfully employed many disabled professors. I wrote a film about one of these disabled professors returning to his job teaching after a stroke and how he adapted and received accommodations for work which you can watch in full for free here at this link! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 13:39:30 +0000

Until 2012 I was working, maintaining a home (the now ex partner worked away 90% of the time) and coping. I was diagnosed with my physical condition in around 1992, and had managed to continue working in a varietly of jobs, mostly by doing my best to ignore my sondition, pushing myself well beyond what I should have been able to do, and using the weekends to basically collapse and recover. I have suffered with severe mental health issues since I was a child, and, again, hid my problems well enough that there was never any difficulty with work.. I was in several customer-facing roles before moving on to call centre work, and while I definitely did struggle, I kept my difficulties to myself. However… the relationship I was in was not good, and that, along with changes to my role at work, and in my personal life lead to several small breakdowns, most of which I again managed to hide. I was increasingly aware that I was finding it harder and harder to cope, and finally saw my doctor and was referred to several agencies for help.
As things became more and more difficult, I was aware that my health was beginning to affect my attendance at work, Not the quality of my work – I was told that I was extremely good at what I did, and there was never any suggestion that I was not doing my job: but I needed more time because my physical health was also deteriorating, and I was referred to occupational health. Thats when the attitude seemed to change. Occupational health advised that the ‘reasonable adjustments’ rule should be applied: and that my job was to come under the act that protects disabled employees. I was able to take the time that I needed away from my job without worrying about disciplinary action. Through the mental health services, I was offered the help of a support worker and CPN: I attended regular appointments with a psychiatrist. I finally got an official diagnosis for the mental health condition which was becoming more unstable. Through all of this, I also dealt with an increased workload and changes to my working hours: an increasingly abusive and disintigrating relationship, and finally accepting that the conditions that I have, while they can be managed, are never going to go away.
I was called into a meeting with my immediate supervisors and their manager, and basically told that, despite the fact that I was conscientious, thorough, and absolutely loved the role I was in, that since they now knew my diagnosis, they felt that I was not emotionally able to continue in it, and were moving me to a different department with immediate effect. I had no choice in the matter, and no say in what happened. If I wanted to continue to work, I would have to accept it. I was angry: I wanted to ask what gave them the right to tell me how I felt, what I was emotionally able to deal with.. but I wanted to keep my job, so I did what they insisted I do.
A couple of years later, it was announced that due to funding cuts, they were going to be laying off staff: that they were looking for people to take early retirement or voluntary redundancy in order to reduce the number of people having to deal with enforced redundancy. Everyone was going to have to be interviewed for their jobs. I was aware that because of the amount of sick time I had taken that it might be a factor in any decision made: but believed that the fact that I was so experienced, that I was so good at my job, and that might make a difference. But before i was able to even arrange an interview time, a senior manager took me aside, and explained to me that I COULD be interviewed: but that it really would probably be a waste of my time… that no matter whether I had berter stats, better feedback, and better assessment results than another candidate, if they had taken less sick days than me, they would be given the job. They would not be taking into account any adjustments for my disabilities, ot the fact that I was doing everything I could to improve my situation.. I would basically not even be considered for a job I had excelled in for more than 6 years. My choices were to take voluntary redundancy, or be made redundant with the same result.
I lost my job the same day I moved out of the house I lived in with the ex, having ended the relationship 4 months previously. despite the support worker and the help of the mental health services, I had a series of ‘small’ breakdowns. I’m now unable to work, living on benefits, and have no confidence in myself. I took a great deal of pride in being able to support myself despite my conditions.. and in making sure that no–one knew about them, or how badly they affected me. Physically I have deteriorated greatly in the past 5 years: mentally I am struggling to find the stability and balance that I had previously. Do my issues make me less of a person than someone else? do they make me less capable of making a contribution? I always thought that in some ways it was more of an achievement, because I had to fight myself every day, while maintaining an appearance of normality to everyone else. Now, even the idea of trying leaves me a wreck. I have a lot of work to do in order to try to recover the ground I’ve lost

By: Pippa

Pippa — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 10:06:05 +0000

In reply to Jay. So glad that you've had a positive experience of reasonable adjustments and found something that works for you!

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 23:37:54 +0000

I was employed at the time of diagnosis and my job has made reasonable adjustments to accommodate me fortunately my condition is currently stable and I can manage to work easily most days. The prospect of changing jobs does terrify and I totally agree there isn’t enough support for people with long term condition. Thank for raising awareness.

By: Pippa

Pippa — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 12:00:27 +0000

In reply to Sarah. I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences, Sarah- it just goes to show that support can be so variable depending on where you are and what you're doing. The fact that you had to go to such lengths to study simply because you have a chronic illness just isn't right. I completely agree with your point about broadening skills: something that's been said a lot but still not had a lot of notice taken of it is the fact that it takes more than adding a wheelchair ramp to make an opportunity accessible. Thanks again for sharing this, and I hope today is being as kind as possible to you.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 11:32:37 +0000

My Russell Group uni point blank refused to accomodate my ME saying adjustments gave me an advantage over my able bodied peers and it was more ‘realistic’ to the real world not to accomodate me.

I had applied as a self funding mature student and had to take a year out in my second year because I literally couldn’t afford to eat when they turned down my hardship grant application.

I had to work three jobs to survive while studying, had a massive relapse and ended up homeless and unable to complete my degree.

It’s been impossible to find any paying work since because I have no qualifications and the kind of remote jobs I need want educational achievements. I also don’t have up to date tech skills for the workplace because it’s been so long and courses cost money I haven’t got.

So it’s about broadening skills as much as just making the workplace accessible. My talents tended toward the vocational and therefore working from home wasn’t always possible. I’ve had no help from anyone like the Jobcentre and I am exhausted from 15 years of trying to find work to fit my illness.

It costs money to get started and without money or family help it’s been impossible for me.