Everyone’s “dream” should be supported…
Have you ever felt disappointed or lost? Have you ever known people who have no money and must give up their dreams? Have you ever really met people with disabilities who want to change their life dreams even though they are not valued by people? In fact, many of us have our own dreams and lifestyles, and like us are people with disabilities who have not been noticed by the public and society. They have many good wishes like us and hope to get a good job to help them realize their wishes. However, 2020 is an extraordinary year. In this year’s life, the world is facing a huge test, COVID-19. Under the severe environment of the current epidemic, everyone’s life has undergone great changes, and the global economic capacity is plummeting. Medical staff are doing their best to save more lives every day. At the same time, for ordinary people like us, we must work harder and have enough funds and strength to protect ourselves and our families. When we do our best to live, we may overlook a special group, that is, the disabled group. They are also being affected by the epidemic. What I’m going to talk about today is the employment rate of people with disabilities, especially in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has a much more serious negative impact.
When we want to study the negative effects of the employment rate of the disabled, we must first understand the relationship between the disabled and the employment rate. In fact, starting in 1990, the employment rate of persons with disabilities began to show a decline and has continued to the present. Some researchers believe that this decline in employment rate is due to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Nevertheless, one of the most important reasons for the situation is the relationship between employers and disabled workers. According to the article, The Employment Rate of People with Disabilities, “The major argument economists have made is that if employers perceive the costs of accommodation to be high, they will refrain from hiring workers with disabilities.” I think this is a really important view that we need to focus on. In other words, because the workforce of disabled workers may not be as good as ordinary workers and have certain risks. Therefore, when hiring these disabled workers, employers will spend more time thinking and the employment rate of disabled workers will decrease.
When readers see this, many people may think that people with disabilities should not rely on their own abilities to work, and even think that people with disabilities will not find very superior jobs. However, these ideas are wrong. We cannot use our subjective consciousness to control others, and to narrow or limit the perfect life that others would have lived. Each of us is a unique individual, and we have the right to choose our own lives and receive the fairest treatment, including the disabled. When we can have the right idea that people with disabilities also have equal treatment, we will pay more attention to the disabled group and help them to recover their own rights.
Just this year, people continue to pay attention to the global impact of the epidemic. And because of the epidemic, the employment rate of disabled workers has a more obvious negative impact. According to the article, Covid: A Fifth of Disabled People Have Work Requests Refused, they stated that a charity survey of 1,004 adults with disabilities found that 18% of people with disabilities refused to choose to work from home, while 11% refused to take leave and 11% of people with disabilities even lost their jobs (BBC NEWS, 2020). However, these data help us reveal a serious phenomenon in the current society. Many disabled people are gradually forgotten by the government or society. Disabled people are a special group. We need to pay attention to them, especially when the epidemic is the most severe. Take an example from this article, Alexis Hutchinson. She is 25 years old, and she is a clerical-professional chorus singer. Alexis suffers from autoimmune hepatitis and fibromyalgia and is an extremely vulnerable group. However, she was told that she could take full-time leave directly until the government issued a new notice or policy. Alexis said, “What I really want from the government is to make sure people who don’t feel safe going to work have the option to be furloughed, protecting the jobs and careers we have worked so hard for, without forcing us to put our lives on the line.” For me, I think she represents a part of disabled workers. On the premise of ensuring their safety, what they really need is a stable job and occupation. Only a stable job and income can allow them to have a normal life without being affected by the epidemic.
The epidemic has not only gradually reduced the employment rate of the disabled but also has seen a lot of discrimination. People with disabilities are often discriminated against in terms of wages. According to the Disabled still face hurdles in the job market, said, “Anecdotal evidence that we have pointed to this because disabled people are so eager to have a job that paying them less for the same work is one-way employers can offer employment and save money.” That means, to seek a job or salary, they can only get paid less. This phenomenon directly reflects the serious negative impact and discrimination that the disabled group has suffered in employment. Thus, we need to pay more attention to the disabled group and allow them to have a better employment environment and opportunities and eliminate the negative impact of their employment rate.
Maybe we cannot completely solve the negative impact of the employment rate of the disabled group, but we need to understand and understand the importance of the disabled group in society and no longer ignore them. In this article, I used different examples and incidents to tell people the negative impact of the employment rate on the disabled group. Only when we are willing to pay attention to this special group and find more solutions, we can make the disabled group have better development and life. Everyone deserves the best life and equal opportunities. I hope everyone’s dream can be realized and everyone’s life can shine forever.
Works Cited:
Barnow, Burt. “The Employment Rate of People with Disabilities.” Monthly labor review 131.11 (2008): 44–50. Print. https://wrlc-amu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01WRLC_AMU/136nr9u/cdi_proquest_reports_235657064
BBC NEWS. “Covid: A Fifth of Disabled People Have Work Requests Refused.” 23 Nov. 2020. Print.www.bbc.com/news/disability-55019647.
The Washington Times. “Disabled still face hurdles in job market.” 4 Dec. 2005. Print. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/dec/4/20051204-112759-1170r/
Hakim, Danny. “‘It’s Hit Our Front Door’: Homes for the Disabled See a Surge of Covid-19.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/coronavirus-disabilities-group-homes.html
