Rulane Luks Malueke

Imagine losing your eyesight to diabetes, your limbs to an accident, or being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and trying to enter the job market. It’s a jungle, basically survival of the fittest.

The lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities is very high and real. It is a fact that disability and poverty are like a nail and toe; you cannot separate them. Poverty is rife in disability communities because of lack of equal job opportunities. Most people with disabilities rely on government aid or disability grants to survive.

Employment is supposed to be a bridge between being poor and economically active simply meaning that you’re a part of production and consumption of goods and services that are used to fulfil the needs of those living and operating within it. An economy is an area of distribution and trade of goods and services by different companies and people. People with disabilities are at the bottom of the food chain and have been left with crumbs, which they are supposed to share among themselves. “Inclusion,” “accessibility,” and many more are words that are displayed during December 3 every year by governments, social development departments, and disability rights NGOs creating awareness for persons with disabilities to be included and treated in a dignified manner by creating equal opportunities for all. Usually, things will stay the same and the privileged go back to their lives, while people with disabilities continue to live in poverty.

In my view, people with disabilities are disregarded and treated like second-class citizens. They are not considered when decisions to build infrastructure are made. Many buildings are not accessible to people with disabilities, and no one is doing anything about it. Adaptations aren’t made, and I think that says a lot. It is sad and depressing to be unemployed because of systems, society, and infrastructure that were created to exclude people withdisabilities. To still be unemployed because of stigma after completing your education can be emotionally draining. People get educated with the hope that once they get qualified, it will change their lives for the better but a lot of qualifications are gathering dust because of lack of opportunities. As a result, people are idle at home, and that is an enemy of the mind. Stress, pressure, and uncertainty may lead to depression, a mental illness that is mostly undiagnosed and is a threat to society if left undiagnosed.

It is exhausting that persons with disabilities have to break walls to get educated, employed, and empowered. Why? It really breaks my heart to know that a staircase or another human being is literally standing between you and a better life. In my country of South Africa, all companies require a medical certificate to accompany your CV when you apply for a job, and it costs a lot of money and time to go to a doctor and get a medical certificate, only to have it expire three months later. It is indeed unnecessary expense and trouble. It does not make sense to me and we seriously need to look into that. Why does it have to be so difficult to apply for a job?

Availability of employment comes with a lot of challenges, which persons with disabilities face in the workplace on a daily basis. These are exclusion, accessibility, and hostility. In most cases, your disability will always overshadow and achievements. Some issues depend on specific disabilities, such as someone in a wheelchair who is unable to reach items above arm level. Workplace discrimination by colleagues’ attitudes is heartbreaking. Actually, just getting hired is like climbing mountain. Sometimes people with disabilities are excluded subconsciously; it is something that is not planned but just happens, mainly because of lack of awareness. Even those who mean well can treat their colleagues or employees with disabilities differently and create uncomfortable scenarios. Treating those with disabilities with respect and compassion while also making the reasonable and necessary changes they may need can really help them to be effective in their jobs.

Many companies tend to hold themselves back when it comes to hiring persons with disabilities, although some do it as part of their marketing campaigns to improve the image of the company. Other companies claim that hiring people with disabilities is expensive because of the adaptations and renovations that needs to be done to create a working environment that is disability-friendly. Their office space needs to be accessible, they will need new desks with wider openings, shelves will need to be rehung, and other special equipment will need to be purchased. It will cost money to hire someone with disability, and not all employers are willing to make reasonable changes for employees with disabilities because that might slow production as well. Hiring a person with disability should happen because the individual is a good match for the organization and has ideas on how to bring positive change to the company. This would lead to a greater diversity in the workplace, which in turn will bring about representation.

Creating an inclusive and diverse culture means that employees from different cultures and of different abilities can add the depth to the company. Some of them bring a set of life experiences that others haven’t been exposed to, Sometimes, seeing the contributions of someone who has overcome significant challenges in life can improve and motivate those around them.

As a person living with a disability, I feel the need to raise awareness, be a voice for the voiceless, and appreciate the platform given to me by IWO. It is time for people with disabilities to stand up and hold people accountable. If we do not do it, nobody will do it for us. I am also a person behind the statistics of the unemployed who are living with disabilities. I have tried for more than nine years to find employment. I have sent CVs to over fifty companies, but still no company is interested. I guess when they see that you’re disabled, all they see is red ink, and they throw out your CV. It is sad but true. I know that I am not alone on this journey because millions of people with disabilities in the world are going through the same hardship. We should not wait for World Disability Day to raise awareness. It must be World Disability Day every day and campaigns should run on social media, TV, and magazines throughout the year. Disability rights organizations need to be visible throughout the year until it sinks in. Prioritizing accessibility for all would mean that people with disabilities will have access to services such as transportation, healthcare, jobs, and technology, and that is worth fighting for.