The toxic conversation about people out of work needs to stop. It's harming disabled people

There has been a recent media frenzy around a ‘worklessness crisis’, as the latest government figures on unemployment in the UK have been released.

Outlets including the Telegraph and the Daily Mail have used phrases such as ‘feckless’ and ‘workshy’ to describe those not currently working. At the national disability charity Sense, we’re concerned about how toxic this conversation is becoming and the risks it poses of demonising disabled people.

There are 1.6 million people living with complex disabilities in the UK. For some of them, work isn’t a realistic option, and it’s vital we have a comprehensive benefits system which supports them to live a full and happy life. For others though, they would love the opportunity to work, yet struggle with the multitude of barriers which prevent disabled people from finding employment.

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Sense research has found that half of jobseekers with complex disabilities don’t feel they get the support and equipment they need to look for work. Take, for example, Jobcentres, the government’s primary port of call for those looking for employment.

Currently Jobcentres are woefully ill-equipped to deal with the needs of disabled people. Work coaches, who are meant to assist people as they look for work, don’t receive even mandatory basic disability equality training, let alone specialised training in coaching people with complex disabilities.

As a result, Sense research found that over half of people with complex disabilities didn’t feel supported by their work coach. Instead of being encouraged to find suitable roles, we heard from some disabled people that their work coach had told them they couldn’t possibly work.

Many employers exclusively advertise their vacancies online, and having access to internet websites is increasingly a necessary part of the job search. Yet for people who are blind or have other disabilities, getting online can be a major barrier.

Specialist equipment is often prohibitively expensive, with one popular screen reader costing £700. Whilst this kind of equipment can be funded under Access to Work once someone is in employment, there are no such funds available while they are searching for a role. Currently, not a single Jobcentre in the country has a computer with specialist assistive technology installed, further piling up barriers in front of disabled jobseekers.

Even if a disabled person does find work, often this isn’t the end of the barriers they face. Too many employers still have prejudiced attitudes against disabled members of staff. Sadly, over a third of people with complex disabilities told Sense they’ve been bullied or harassed at work. Over half felt they’d taken a less challenging role than they’re capable of, due to their work not meeting their needs as a disabled person.

Despite all these obstacles, at Sense we encounter many disabled people who are thriving in work. We support disabled jobseekers at our specialist employment services, offering tailored support, training and job coaching. One woman we support, who is blind, non-verbal and uses a powered chair, found her first job at the age of 36 after being told her disabilities would prevent her from ever working.

On the flip side, a man we support who has multiple disabilities has spent twenty years unsuccessfully looking for work, waiting for an employer to give him a chance. Far from being workshy, many disabled people are desperate to have the chance to prove themselves in a workplace.

Rather than demonising those not in work, we should be demanding more support for disabled jobseekers. It would cost £5million to roll out specialist assistive technology in all Jobcentres, a relatively low-cost investment which could make a huge difference.

The Department for Work and Pensions also needs to make sure that everyone working at a Jobcentre receives comprehensive disability equality training, including understanding the unique barriers people with complex disabilities face in the job hunt. We’d like to see the government work more closely with disabled people and disability charities to co-produce these training programmes, and to hold employers to account who don’t do right by their disabled staff.

The rhetoric the media uses around unemployment matters. It’s time to stop using language which demonises those who can’t work, and instead look at the root causes of long-term unemployment.

Sense is the national disability charity that supports people living with complex disabilities. For more information on Sense’s employment support, visit the charity’s website here.

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