12 of the biggest challenges people with disabilities face while doing office work

Although we are living in a globalized and technologically advanced world, still we see inequalities and injustice in various fields of life. Most people consider that people with disabilities are a large part of the World's minority, which is often rejected, devalued and disregarded at various platforms of employment. We should understand that disabilities and health issues are a part of life, and we must start accepting the people with disabilities, without any discrimination and feelings of disrespect. There are various organizations and NGOs which are working for the acceptance and inclusivity of disabled people in various fields of education and employment, such as Good Sammy, to provide them with better opportunities for employment, financial security and economic stability.

Organizations like atwork Australia recruiting agency are playing an integral role in providing chances to disabled people for proving their potential and becoming a responsible and participative member of society; This is also an accepted fact that people with disabilities are not burdens for the society, and indeed they bring assets such as problem-solving, compassion and resilience to the workplace because of the challenges they face. Businesses that provide work opportunities for people with disability should perform a police check NSW on all employees, because their work involves contact with vulnerable people.

Potential challenges faced by disabled people at their workplaces

Although these organizations are making significant efforts in removing these barriers and obstacles in the way of disabled people towards economic stability and financial freedom, however, there are enormous challenges which are still faced by the disabled people at their workplaces and offices. Few of them are below:

• Rejection due to disability

Even though there are various conventions and regulations passed in the various states of US, UK and Canada, still there are significant challenges which have been faced by people who have minor to moderate disabilities, while they are looking for jobs or going for interviews. Employers often disregard them irrespective of their qualifications, attributes or skills which they have only because of their visible disabilities; This is a quite unfair and materialistic approach of few employers; however, this is still happening in many of the large and famous organizations.

• Lack of inclusivity and acceptance

As we are heading towards a more globalized world, we must expand the inclusivity and holistic approach in every field of life. However, there are still areas which need inclusivity and acceptance. The people with disabilities often feel alienated and isolated at their workplaces. They often feel in-acceptance and lack of inclusivity while we talk about fair chances of employability to all, regardless of their status or disabilities. There is a significant need for getting better chances of employability and fair inclusion for all people, which very important for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

• Lack of empathy

Lack of empathy is the harsh reality, which has been faced by various disabled people since ages, as many people in a survey informed that they feel uncomfortable among their co-workers and from the personnel of Human resources when they are applying for a job as they get underestimated and degraded just because they have a disability or using a wheelchair.

• Lack of confidence from recruiters

Another challenge which is faced by disabled people is the lack of confidence which is displayed by the employers or recruiters when they apply for a job or attend the job interviews. Employers also do not realize that if they give special accommodations and acceptance to the disabled people, they might come up with various skills like problem solving and resilience which are crucial skills for employment.

• Focus on disability rather than potential

It has been a challenging issue for people with any minor to major disabilities that the general people at work or employers usually focus more on their disabilities and make them feel unwanted, regardless of their capabilities and potential which they have in person. Evaluation of various surveys tells us that disabled people can achieve excellence and provide reasonable efforts if provided with sufficient opportunities or chances for employment and business.

• Unfair pay gaps

There has been the biggest challenge of unfair policies regarding the pay gap and unequal salary scales for the people who are with disabilities. A study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) shows that employees with mental illness earn 42% less than their colleagues, and research shows that diseases such as depression, phobias and panic disorders have a significant influence on the development of the internal organization.

• Inadequate facilities

This topic is another important challenge which is mostly faced by the disabled people at their workplaces or offices, that they are not accommodated or provided with sufficient facilities which are crucial for them. They are often misunderstood by the employers or their co-workers when they demand extra facilities for them due to their disabilities.

• Lack of equality

There are various surveys and studies taken in various medium and large companies, where people with disabilities feel injustice and inequality during job offers and employability opportunities. They are often not provided with the positions which they deserve being qualified and competent. Rather they are exemplified as being unable to do justice with the position and considered as ineffective, which breaks their morals and positivity.

• Lack of respect and dignity

It is not about giving favours to them, but it is all about inclusivity. In most cases, they do not want extra favours, but all they want is respect, empathy and acceptance. Not only employers but co-workers also make them feel discriminated and less privileged and treat them with unfairness. These issues are continuously faced by disabled people and considered as significant issues for the future of inclusivity and acceptance.

• Inaccessibility towards integral services

People with disabilities often get deprived of the basic accommodations and facilities which they deserve due to their challenging conditions. Employers often make them realize unimportant and unwelcomed by informing them that if they grant them an extra facility, then their other employees will feel lesser. However, this is injustice and unfair attitude of employers towards their employees as they must be given fair chances and accessibility to integral services to increase their chances to become a responsible citizen and achieving economic stability.

Summary

Finally, we can say that significant measures are necessary to address the critical issues and challenges which have been faced by the people with disabilities during their office work and employability opportunities. It is really important to create social awareness the acceptance of people with disabilities to combat discrimination and negative attitudes at their workplaces and offices. Moreover, we should promote their full participation in society.

It is also suggested to the regulatory authorities, organizations and NGOs to develop microfinance and loans to the people with disabilities to provide them better chances of education and employability as they are the ones who are most affected due to the global economic crisis. Furthermore, government-accredited support systems, such as NDIS plan management, helps its participants make use of their funds wisely and for their convenience. Nevertheless, it is essential to encourage everyone to accept the differences and make a culture of compassion and inclusivity where everyone can work according to their talents, potential and dignity without being discriminated because of their disabilities.

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