Despite huge advances in accessibility and support disabled people remain underrepresented in education and work.
According to the Office for Disability Issues:
19.2 per cent of working age disabled people do not hold any formal qualification, compared to 6.5 per cent of working age non-disabled people
14.9 per cent of working age disabled people hold degree-level qualifications compared to 28.1 per cent of working age non-disabled people
In 2012, 46.3 per cent of working-age disabled people are in employment compared to 76.4 per cent of working-age non-disabled people.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that while I was still working as a university researcher (and previously as a PhD student) I met what I would term "casual disablism" in the form of total disbelief that somone "like me" could do a job "like this".
It was very common for people to ask why I was in the university building where I worked. I distinctly remember one conversation (but by no means the only one):
What are you doing here, love, can I help you find the way out?
No thanks, I'm fine. I work here.
Oh, that's nice. Have they found you a job in the office?*
No, actually I'm one of the researchers. I'm on my way to my own office.
Really? I didn't think people like you could do that sort of thing
*Not that there would be anything wrong with an office job, but it was the "found you" (as though it would be "make work") and the belief that I couldn't possibly do anything else which was rather telling.
While I was still establishing myself as a researcher and people didn't yet know me, I had the same problem at conferences. Another example is this conversation:
Hello, are you lost?
Um, no. I'm the invited guest speaker...
Oh my goodness. That's amazing. You'd never think so, would you?
I found the attitude from people at conferences deeply worrying. You have to understand that these were not only my peers and colleagues with whom I would work with on my research, but also my future interviewers for any job that I might apply for. If this was their attitude toward disabled people it did not bode well. This was semi-confirmed when I phoned up to confirm wheelchair access for my first important job interview and I was asked if "I was sure I was up to the job".
I have to say that there was a part of me which always found all of this rather strange, given the famous icon Stephen Hawking who is trotted out whenever anyone says they are too sick to work. Either all disabled people are like him, in which case people shouldn't have been astonished to see me in my electric wheelchair, or he is an exception to the rule, in which case he shouldn't be used as a stick to beat people who are too ill or disabled to work.
So I'd like to move now to a dilemma this poses. I have a progressive illness which has got much worse over the years. I did my degree, PhD and worked for 5 years with increasing disability, but, more importantly with increasing illness, more and more time off sick, working from home, more and more part time and symptoms which interfered with my work. Eventually I had to call it a day and am now claiming long term sickness and disability benefit, ESA.
ESA and the test for claiming it (WCA) are deeply controversial and need much improvement. I myself have steadily been campaigning for this in any way I am able to. However, when fighting for improving this process, we need to be very careful not to reinforce the stereotype that all disabled people are unable to work or do high grade jobs. It is a very difficult and fine line to tread.
As I have had a very good job as a disabled person and as a very ill person I know that it is possible to
a) work when very disabled
b) work when very ill
c) be too ill to work
When campaigning against welfare reform people sometimes hold up a specific example of a person who was refused their benefit to illustrate that the ESA process is flawed. I find this very dangerous as it risks reinforcing the disablist belief that every single person with that same impairment, disability or illness can't work.
I strongly believe that everyone should receive appropriate support.
If they are truly unable to work then they should receive sufficient support to live adequately and not be hounded as they are now nor made to feel guilty or unworthy. Changing people's perceptions is key here. It IS possible to be too ill to work. Many people still believe for instance that if you can use a computer then you can work. I wrote about this in #BADD2012. The government itself would do well to listen.
If they feel able and want to work, then they should receive every bit of support available to do so, even if they are very ill or very disabled and regardless of whether or not they would "pass" the "fit for work" test to receive benefits. Indeed, I would have been eligible for incapacity benefit or ESA right from the start of my illness, but as I had a flexible job with a supportive employer, I felt able to work. I therefore did not claim it and instead received very good support to help me work instead such as Access to Work.
Therefore increasing funding and availability of Access to Work and simultaneously working with employers to increase their willingness to be supportive and flexible is crucial. But changing the perception that disabled people can't work or hold down high level jobs is also key.
Therefore increasing funding and availability of Access to Work and simultaneously working with employers to increase their willingness to be supportive and flexible is crucial. But changing the perception that disabled people can't work or hold down high level jobs is also key.
Juggling changing both perceptions at the same time is a complete and utter nightmare. But it must be done.
