Workforce Participation Barriers for People With Disability

Abstract

A ccess to meaningful and equitably paid work is an ongoing issue facing people with disabilities across the world. This article is concerned with the nature and extent of workplace accommodation currently made available in Australia to people with disabilities. The article is based on analysis of the Australian Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (2003). The article first ratifies existing findings in the literature that people with disability are less likely to be employed and where employed, are likely to be underemployed and underpaid. Restrictions in the ability to participate in paid work without accommodations were common with the need for accommodation varying from 43% through to 91%, depending on the nature of disability experienced. We identify the possibility that people with disability self-select themselves into workplaces where they can self-accommodate their own access needs. Generally, the extent of workplace accommodations provided were low (12%-27%). Known stratifying factors (gender, ethnicity, and education) exacerbated existing barriers to accessing employment. Workers with higher training needs were less likely to secure employment while people accessing the workplace with the benefit of an advocate were more likely to be in the workforce. Strategies for enhancing employment outcomes are discussed.

Supported Employment and Social Inclusion – Experiences of Workers with Disabilities in Wage Subsidized Employment in Sweden

“…The need for an adjusted work situation can thus "force the issue" and outweigh the interviewee's hopes and dreams. Studies have shown that people with disabilities are drawn to workplaces that the workers perceive can meet their needs for adjustment (Hogan et al 2012) which also seemed to be the case for the workers in this study.…”

“…People with disabilities experience barriers to structural, organizational and individual access to employment (Hogan et al 2012;Schur et al 2009;Schur, Kruse & Blanck 2005). To attempt to address the barriers, various methods for supporting people with disabilities in their search for employment are used in the area of vocational rehabilitation.…”

Intersections between disability, type of impairment, gender and socio-economic disadvantage in a nationally representative sample of 33,101 working-aged Australians

“…An analysis of the 2003 Australian Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) showed large discrepancies in labor force participation rates according to impairment type, with people with a mental illness reporting the lowest overall labor force participation rates 12 e a finding that is consistent with other countries. 13e15 In terms of housing, people with disabilities are more likely to experience housing-related disadvantage, such as affordability problems 16 and housing insecurity, 17 and are over-represented within Australia's welfare housing sector.…”

A Systematic Literature Review of the Application of Information Communication Technology for Visually Impaired People

“…The majority of people with visual impairment (about 90%) live in developing countries and about 65% are aged 50 or above (Mothiravally, Ang, Baloch, Kulampallil, & Geetha, 2014). Only 14% to 20% of people in developed countries suffer from disabilities in general, and these people have greater opportunities to take advantage of ICT-aided tools (Hogan, Kyaw-Myint, Harris, & Denronden, 2012). Numerous studies have been conducted focusing on people with disabilities from a sociological point of view.…”

“…McAnaney and Williams (2010) suggest using action research methods for disability management. Hogan et al (2012) contend that people with disabilities face significant inequity of remuneration, globally, due to the perception of a lack of skills and employment accommodations for particular roles. Niehaus and Marfels (2010) identify the key competencies of disabled people by using factor analysis and investigate the scope of their integration into the workforce and mainstream society.…”