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A NEW REPORT has found that people living with disabilities are four times less likely to be employed in Ireland, leading to disability activists calling for more to be done to address the problem.
A new report from the ESRI has found that despite wanting to work, people with a disability are less likely to get a job and more likely to leave employment even when their impairment does not create difficulties with everyday activities.
The study commissioned by the National Disability Authority found:
Development manager of the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) Joan O’Donnell said that the report is yet again more evidence that not enough is being done to help those with disabilities enter and, more importantly, remain in employment.
“People with disabilities were forgotten about during the recession and they’re being forgotten about now. There needs to be an attitude change in Ireland. There are so many options for employers which are not being utilised. There are grants which they can avail of. But sometimes there is fear on their part, fear of saying the wrong thing and other things along the same lines.
“Four out of five of us will acquire a disability during our working lives. This isn’t something which can be kicked down the road. We need action and we need it now.”
According to the report, if education, age, gender, marital status and other personal and family characteristics are taken out, people with a disability remain about half as likely to enter employment.
The report added that areas of specific importance to people with a disability include the retention of medical cards when they move into employment, support for the additional costs of disability itself and flexibility in how jobs are structured including in hours and job tasks.
Dorothy Watson, an author of the report, added: “Efforts to ensure jobs for all of those with a disability who want to work need to proceed on two fronts: both increasing the capacity of those not at work to get jobs and ensuring that those currently at work can retain their jobs.”
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I am disabled, simply put, the amount of jobs I can do are far less than when I wasn’t. I cannot travel far for work and I cannot do any physical labour. It would make sense that more disabled people are unemployed.
@James Guinan: Convert to Islam and no one will dare to reject you.
By the way – what have you done to forum ?? Told you not to touch server !!
It’s not easy finding work in rural Ireland with a disability. I’m out of work ten years at the moment
Why employ a disabled person if you have the choice not to?
@Jlocoroco: Why employ a person with a beard if you can choose not to? Suitability for the position is important. There are jobs that disabled people can do, however it is important to know what the disability is, whether it is intellectual or physical etc.
The last sentence simply states the obvious. Why produce a report and have no viable, practical suggestions to address the issue? One suggestion I would have is for companies to have a type of buddy system whereby a person with disabilities but also with capabilities to do the job be employed and mentored by another worker. If this was done sensibility in a spirit of respectfulness the outcomes could be very positive. Practicality would be key to this.
I have Dyspraxia and found it hard for a period of time to find work. Its an absolute joke that disabled people are 4 times less likely to be employed when they can easily bring a great set of skills to the workforce.
Disabled people should not have to worry about this in the 21st century when there so many disabled people that have changed the world.
As ambassador for Dyspraxia Ireland I have seen the struggle faced by many people who are disabled to find work yet I know and they know as do there family and friends when in fact they are well capable and well abled to do anything once they put there mind to it.
Anything is possible
I sympathize with disabled people but we should all be glad that able people are there to support *all* of us. “Equality” destroys economies so that no one can work, not just many disabled. The substance of this article is sub moronic.
@Virtual Architect: There are just some better “Equality” and some less important we screw..
Gosh! This forum is terrible! My eyes hurt when I try to read it !!
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