Jobs for People with Disabilities
Jobs for People with Disabilities
You and I probably took it for granted that when we left school or university we would find a job. Now depending on which generation we belong to, we might have expected it to take a couple weeks, months or maybe even a year if we were unlucky, or graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. But could you imagine if you were told that there was no job for you and no expectation that you would ever want or get a job. Well for many people with disabilities that is their reality.
It’s Important….
Some people might say – that sounds great, no pressure to get a job, I can do what I want all day every day!
But let’s stop for minute and look at what that would actually mean for you. How are you going to fill the next 50 years? You won’t be travelling or shopping because you can’t afford it. You won’t be spending time with friends because how are you going to meet them stuck at home? You won’t be getting married and having children because the workplace is still the number one place to meet your future spouse, and let’s face it, your future spouse is not going to want to move into mum and dads with you. Oh did I mention you will be living with mum and dad………….for the rest of your life! Now how is that “I can do what I want all day every day” looking?
You can see then that jobs for people with disabilities are not just a job – it’s a means to a life. A job allows us a quality of life; it provides economic freedoms and connects us to our communities. And all those things are twice as true if you have a disability. So having established that jobs for people with disabilities are important, let’s look at what jobs and where?
And it’s difficult……
Our unemployment rate is currently 5.7% but that doesn’t mean that 94.3% of people are employed. The better indicator is our participation rate. Our participation rate is around 65% or if you’re a person with a disability it’s around 53%, but even worse, if you’re a person with severe or profound disability, or possibly an intellectual disability it’s around 30%. That doesn’t mean that 30% of people with a profound disability are working because the “participation rate” also covers people who are looking for work. Read more about these stats at the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing.
But we are here to help
If you’re a person with a disability it’s going to be harder for you to find a job. Especially a job that builds your skills, assists you to make friends and makes you feel like a valued member of the team. Well the good news is that there are organisations whose sole mission is to create jobs for people with disabilities – places like ours at Hoxton. This year we have provided jobs for over 100 people with disabilities who would otherwise be excluded from mainstream employment. Contact us or visit our facebook page to see what a job at Hoxton looks like.