The challenges of disability.

I have read in recent weeks several articles and studies on the integration of people with disabilities in the labor and social field, that have led me to reflect on some of the challenges facing this group of people and discuss them briefly in this post.

Next I will comment the five challenges that I have found most relevant:

• Legislative (Non-)Compliance: The old spanish LISMI (Law on Social Integration of the Disabled) of 1982 has never been fulfilled by most companies with more than 50 workers, that are required to compose its workforce of a minimum of 2% of people with disabilities or, failing that, to comply with the so-called “alternative measures”. There is a lack of inspection and sanctions by the Administration, but what can we expect when we see news like that 30% of work places reserved for disabled people in the central government are not covered? They should lead by example.
• Invisibility and prejudices in the media: Disability is not usually treated in the media, and when it is instead of being treated from the naturalness and closeness it is usually done from ignorance, prejudice and condescension. We note what differentiates people with disabilities rather than from what all the people have in common. Disability is hidden in the TV series nor are professionals with disabilities in frontline programs. Initiatives such as those developed by the ONCE Foundation work to make the disable people and their families more socially visible through the media.
• Overprotective Families: In its effort to the pursuit of the good and the minimal suffering for their children with disabilities, parents and families often exercise overprotection towards these children, just to get the opposite from what families want, and prevent them to gradually achieve their independence as individuals. According to the “Disability and Family 4th Report” of the Adecco Foundation and JYSK, only 3 out of 4 parents are committed to providing their children with disabilities with resources and tools to be autonomous. In an increasingly competitive and more difficult access to employment for all people in the society, it is essential that families no longer exercise that overprotection and prepare their children for the challenges they will face both socially and occupationally. Meanwhile, 65% of young people with disabilities believe that this is an obstacle to find employment, and university academics with disabilities represent only 1.3%, leaving them in very clear disadvantage in opting to skilled jobs.
• Universal accessibility: There are still misconceptions about accessibility that make that not all areas are accessible to the disabled. Myths like thinking that accessibility is only for people with disabilities and others do not need it, that building accessible spaces is more expensive, that simply complying with the existing accessibility law ensures getting spaces accessible to all, or that a building is accessible merely by having a ramp. We need to break these myths and promote and implement a real universal accessibility at all levels and in both the public and private spheres, and especially in the design and construction stages and not afterwards as an addition or renovation.
• The double discrimination “woman with disabilities”: Unfortunately, gender inequality persists between men and women and the fact “disabled woman” makes their situation even more unfavorable. Women with disabilities are deprived or have limited access to education so that there is a higher rate of illiteracy among women than men with disabilities, as is the case with the unemployment rate. In some cases, women with disabilities manifest dependence towards their partner, physically and emotionally, and if that was not enough the group of women with disabilities is a group at high risk of suffering any type of violence. Initiatives such as the CERMI’s in its Second Comprehensive Plan of Action for Women with Disabilities 2013–2016 to promote public policies on gender and disability are absolutely necessary.

I consider it is essential to articulate and implement programs and public and private initiatives that give value to people with disabilities, that lead by example, and that help these challenges to become less important. In this sense we can count the project carried out by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the ONCE Foundation for mainstreaming disability in the memories of Corporate Social Responsibility of the organizations. Another interesting initiative is the one of BEQUAL Foundation that, through the certification bearing the same name, wants to value the commitment and effort of organizations that have incorporated corporate policies that favor the inclusion of people with disabilities as well as workers and consumers or users of services.

We must, in our everyday lives and within our possibilities, encourage and facilitatethe social inclusion of this group of people. In previous posts of this blog was mentioned that “we were all pedestrians” and to end this I think I’m right when I say that…

We are all or can become disabled at some point in our lives.

NOTE: This article was first published in spanish and can be found here.