Insufficient Concern: Attitudes Toward Employment & Disability Analyzed in Britain
By Laurel Richards (lrichards@ilru.org)
From Insufficient Concern, a report on attitudes toward employment of both people with disabilities and employers in a borough outside London comes this assessment of the exceptional role employment plays in individuals' lives by authors Miles Rinaldi and Robert Hill:
"Work is not only the most significant way out of poverty, but can also provide valued social roles outside the family, including a sense of responsibility that transcends the individual. Employment can thus offer an important sense of social inclusion and an important way of structuring one's sense of identity. Similarly, the well-catalogued consequences of prolonged periods of unemployment go beyond mere financial hardship and challenge both the individual and the community of which they form a part."
Undertaken between February 1999 and June 2000, the study collected information on the experiences of 56 employers and 241 disabled individuals living in the London (U.K.) Borough of Merton was undertaken between February 1999 and June 2000. Of the disabled participants, over one-third were currently working, one-half had previously worked but were not currently working, and about a tenth had never worked. These participants also represented a range of disabilities--102 had a physical impairment, 98 had a mental health problem, 19 had a visual impairment, and 22 had a hearing impairment.
In summarizing the study results, Rinaldi and Hill separate the findings into observations and comments from three participant groups.
From the Perspective of Employers: Rinaldi and Hill found that almost one-half had employed people with disabilities. About 60 percent were not aware of the Disability Employment Advisor program located within local Employment Service Job Centers through which assistance is available in areas such as accessibility, equipment, training needs. Of the 40 percent who did know of the program, only two-thirds knew how to contact the agency. A third of employers stated that their employment criteria would be different for people with mental health problems as opposed to disabled people generally. Just over a third of employers thought that employees' attitudes were more important as their skills while 62% thought that employee's skills were just as important as their attitudes. Rinaldi and Hill observe that employers are looking for a number of generic skills, such as self-confidence skills, assertiveness skills, coping with stress, communications skills, and work experience. Over 40 percent employers thought that they could not make changes and/or adjustments to their workplace for a disabled person, and 17% did not feel they were able to employ a disabled person.
From the Perspective of People Currently Working: Sixteen percent of these individuals had received advice not to work, and over 75 percent had received this advice from their health care providers. Almost 60 percent of respondents had never received any form of career guidance or advice, and some three-quarters applied for employment without help. Eighty-seven percent already had an impairment when they started their current job, and 87 percent reported informing their employer about their impairment. Over two-thirds reported that their employer had been flexible in their working arrangements and/or made reasonable adjustments for them. Of respondents reporting that they had experienced barriers, 53% reported discrimination, 25% focused on the structure of the work/work environment, and 9% on their experience, education or potential being discounted. Not surprising, 57 percent of respondents felt that their career development was limited by their impairment.
From the Perspective of People Not Currently Working or Who Have Never Worked: Fifty-one percent of the respondents wished to return to work. Nearly 45 percent had received advice not to work. Half of respondents did not possess any qualifications. Fifty-eight percent had never received any form of career guidance. Only a quarter of respondents stated that they hoped to achieve employment with assistance from a disability employment advisor. And, almost half reported negative attitudes towards them in applying for employment.
Rinaldi and Hill also developed sets of recommendations for the various parties associated with employment of people with disabilities, including employers, employment services, organizations working with disabled persons, employed disabled individuals, and disabled individuals not currently working. They also provide recommendations pertaining to social policy and areas for future research. Selected recommendations are included in the following boxes.
The research was commissioned by Disability Alliance Merton, a federation of five voluntary sector organizations working with people with mental health problems, people with physical and/or sensory impairments, and people with learning difficulties.
An electronic copy of the executive summary of Insufficient Concern is available without cost from Rinaldi (miles.rinaldi@lineone.net). The complete report can be ordered for £7.99 from Merton Mind, The Vestry Hall, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 3UD, UK.
Recommendations Arising from the Study Recommendations for the Employer
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Employers need to seek help and assistance from the national disability employment program team and/or disability organisations.
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Employers need to ensure their application forms and supporting information are available in a variety of formats, to ensure their business meets the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and that they are practicing equality of opportunity.
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Employers need to ensure they are aware of what work place adjustments can be made as well as what financial support is available to them.
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The negative stereotyping uncovered in this research may be leading to businesses rejecting candidates who could offer great skills, experience and loyalty to their business. The attitudes shown could also be considered discriminatory.
Recommendations for the Employment Service
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There needs to be a greater understanding by the national disability employment program team of employers' needs and attitudes to disabled people. This can only be gained by working directly with employers on these issues.
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The Employment Service tends to work more with employers who come to them; however, our research has shown that in Merton, a large number of employers do not take this route. The agency needs to develop a proactive role in working with employers rather than expecting employers to come to them.
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The Employment Service needs to be aware that a large number of disabled people surveyed had not used its services. Therefore, the Employment Service needs to establish why disabled people are not using their services and to question how they are going to reach out to disabled people who are unaware of their services.
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The DEA needs to be instrumental in identifying a lead agency to provide Careers Advice / Guidance for disabled people/people with mental health problems.
Recommendations for Organisations Working with Disabled People
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Organisations working with disabled people need to be aware that employment is a high priority and should look at the feasibility of setting up employment-related support services.
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Organisations need to outreach and network with employers to ensure that information, advice, and assistance are available on all aspects of employing and retaining disabled people.
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Organisations working with disabled people need to work in partnership with ethnic minority organisations to ensure access to services and equality of opportunity.
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Organisations should actively support disabled people who wish to utlilise the DDA when they face discrimination in the workplace.
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Social Services and/or other health professionals should examine whether their services are assisting or discouraging disabled people from taking up and retaining employment.
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Organisations need to work more closely with other Organisations responsible for providing training to ensure that disabled people's training needs are incorporated within their services.
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Social Services and/or other health professionals should examine whether their services are assisting or discouraging disabled people from taking up and retaining employment.
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Organisations need to be proactive about offering work experience to people with disabilities.
Recommendations for the Individual In Work
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Individuals need to be more proactive with regard to the adjustments they need and towards fighting the discrimination they face within the workplace. The DDA can be used by disabled people to fight such attitudes and ignorance.
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However, we recognize that for many disabled people this would be difficult. We therefore feel that although the responsibility is on the individual, other organisations such as the unions and voluntary organisations should be more proactive in assisting disabled people to attain their rights.
Recommendations for Individuals Not Currently Working
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Many employers now require at least some qualifications especially in basic literacy and numeracy. There are few jobs in Merton where disabled people without qualifications are going to be offered employment. Therefore it is important for this group of disabled people to look to education as a means of attaining employment. We are aware that many disabled people have access needs with regard to attending local colleges. Those that rely on Social Services provision should explore the option of using direct payments as a means of enabling them to meet their access needs to acquire additional education.
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Disabled people need to take responsibility to seeking employment by making contact with relevant organisations and the DEA.
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Disabled people should ensure that their skills and experiences match the type of employment they are seeking. Where there is a discrepancy between the individual and the employer, the individual should address this through education, training, and work experience.
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Individuals should actively seek meaningful work experience in order to gain both practical and generic skills and as a way to demonstrate to employers that they have the ability to work. Work experience also allows individuals to examine their vocational interests and skills in a real work setting and to plan their future careers accordingly.
Recommendations That Impact upon Social Policy
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The U.K.'s Disability Discrimination Act currently exempts 93% of Merton's employers. The qualifying number of staff should thus be examined if changes at the root level are to occur.
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The research highlights a set of generic skills that are prioritised by both employers and potential employees. Such skills should therefore be prioritised in both vocational programmes and work search programmes.
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There is a need to challenge employers on their perceptions of the skills and abilities of those classified as long term unemployed, as this undoubtedly results in a form of indirect discrimination against certain members of the population.
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Statutory and non-statutory agencies need to develop links with employers and build on the experiences and findings from the survey.
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The current financial arrangements for personal assistant users appears economically punitive and sends out a negative message.
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Ignorance and stereotyping, particularly regarding mental health, needs to be continually challenged.
Recommendations for Future Research
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Research on employment needs of young disabled people (16-25 years), both those who are in contact with employment services as well as those who are not.
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User-led research on employment needs of people with a hearing impairment.
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Research on the extent to which employers are discriminating against long-term unemployed individuals with impairments.
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Research on work retention.
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Research on causes of work-based stress within small and medium sized enterprises and how employers can work with physicians and other health professionals to manage and reduce work-induced stress.
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