Here’s the truth about disability and employment

In the wake of the British government announcing recently that it plans to cut its welfare budget by more than £5 billion ($6.5 billion), I’ve noticed a shocking number of comments in mainstream and social media that seek to shame the disabled population with harmful rhetoric and negative stereotypes. To say I am ashamed of society right now would be a major understatement.

People seem to have a common misconception about disabled people not working, so let’s address it.

All life is sacred and has inherent value, disabled life included. People need to understand that disability is a spectrum. Some disabilities are visible, while others are not. Some disabilities completely debilitate a person, while others do so only partially or not at all. Irrespective of where on this spectrum a person is, the value of their life and their right to life and dignity is no less than any other person.

Within this spectrum of disability, some people can work and others cannot. Again, regardless of where a disabled persons falls on this spectrum, their right to life and dignity shouldn’t be negated.

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What the data says

The U.K.’s Equality Act 2010 defines disability as a “physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.” In this definition, “long-term” means 12 months or more.

According to the House of Commons Library, about 24% of the U.K.’s population had a disability in the 2022-2023 financial year, which is about 16 million people. Of those, 11% were children, 45% were pensioners, and 23% were working-age adults.

The latest data shows that the employment rate for nondisabled people in the U.K. is around 81%, compared with 53% for the population with disabilities. Hateful comments online and by pundits accuse people with disabilities of being lazy, but I don’t believe that. Most disabled people who can work want to work. The problem isn’t disabled people; it’s society in general.

Barriers in the workplace

As I look back on my life as a sickle cell patient, I realize that some of my most difficult health experiences were precipitated by some transition in my life. For example, when I worked at my first full-time job after I’d finished schooling, I had multiple sickle cell crises that required me to take a significant amount of time off work. In retrospect, it wasn’t as bad as it became in later years, but at the time, I hadn’t had many severe symptoms before. I vividly remember not receiving adequate support and even being encouraged to stop working in order to receive welfare benefits. But I didn’t see a reason why, at that stage of my life, I couldn’t work full time.

That was 15 years ago. Today, I’m still working full time and thriving in my career. My accomplishments are abundant. Imagine if I’d listened to that advice to stop working.

The reality is that barriers to work for disabled people abound. Ableism and discrimination in recruitment practices are a reality in the workplace. Many people who worry about potential discrimination choose not to disclose their disabilities. But not everyone can hide them — and no one should have to. In my case, I have several accomplishments in the disability advocacy space that could bolster my resumé, but I don’t include them because I know that disclosing my disability at that point in the job application process often will work against me.

The disability pay gap refers to the differences between the average income of disabled and nondisabled workers. In the U.K., the disability pay gap is now 17%. This significantly lower pay for disabled workers is yet another barrier in the workforce and potentially indicative of ableism. When you consider this context, along with the high financial cost of disability, it is extremely concerning.

Additionally, inaccessibility in the workplace is yet another barrier that prevents disabled workers from thriving.

I often wonder how many of those who are perpetuating stereotypes about disabled people as being lazy have made efforts in their own workplaces to accommodate disabled staff. How many of them have invested their time in cultivating a work environment that enables disabled staff to thrive? Perhaps we should start there.

Note: Sickle Cell Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sickle Cell Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sickle cell disease.