A charity based in the UK has recently conducted a study where they say it is harder for disabled people to find a job now than it was 15 years ago. The result is that people are now looking for jobs and finding even more roadblocks in a time where there should be less to navigate.
This information is, frankly, concerning for people who are trying to seek gainful employment and don’t know what to do if they are living with a disability. The UK government is insisting that it’s trying to make life easier for people who have a disability, but it’s also indicative of what we’re seeing all across the world.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems right now that we are facing around the world is the fact that there are lots of people who have a disability but can’t get employment because lots of jobs don’t have enough accessibility. These are people who are trying to find employment and often have a lot of skills that they can bring to the table, but the big problem is that they don’t necessarily have access to these roles. There’s a real problem with getting people who have disabilities even into office buildings sometimes because they’re not built with accessibility in mind.
This is a persistent problem which has continued to plague the working world in general. It’s not just limited to the UK; there are countless countries across the world where accessibility is not a concern. People don’t think about accessibility when they design job roles, they don’t have accessible premises for people who want to apply but have disabilities, so those with mobility issues often struggle.
As support workers Gold Coast, we hear a lot of stories about people who are struggling to find positions despite being qualified because they don’t have the right kind of accessibility. The building isn’t built for them to access with mobility devices, or they can’t travel easily, and the role doesn’t offer flexible working. There are a myriad of different problems like this to grapple with, and they all point towards a severe lack of understanding and lots of challenges that aren’t being resolved.
At this point, most companies probably need a substantial overhaul when it comes to how they look at accessibility and what it means for them. There’s a lot to explore, and it’s hard to know where to start, but we think a radical overhaul is probably needed.
Ultimately, the challenge being faced by people across the world is educating companies on the need for accessibility. Most people genuinely don’t know that their workplace isn’t accessible for wheelchair users or people with other mobility issues, and this has resulted in a whole group of people who aren’t getting access to jobs and support. To us, that’s a shame, and it speaks to a growing issue whereby people aren’t being supported in a way that works for them. Hopefully, industries everywhere will start to acknowledge the issues and try to change things.