A permanent disability can lead to an occupational limitation in one or more fields of work. However, this does not mean that it is not possible to work in other fields. In this case, people with disabilities have to face up to complex challenges.
It is crucial to understand that over the years the professional integration of people with permanent disabilities, or any other kind of disability, has improved considerably.
Nowadays, the normalization of the presence of employees with a permanent disability is starting to become the rule. However, this does not prevent the presence of some important challenges, among which we emphasize the following.
Discrimination
Discrimination is present in many parts of society. It also applies to people with a permanent disability.
It is certainly true that progress has been enormous in the elimination of discriminatory factors in all areas, from social to education and the labor market. However, it is also true that discriminatory practices still exist in many areas, including the professional sector.
This is a challenge that can only be solved through education and respect for values. Fortunately, it is one of the elements on which the authorities are most active.
Poor business culture
A bad corporate culture does not strictly mean discriminatory elements. There is a tendency to confuse the two terms, but this is wrong.
An employer can be an empathetic person from a human point of view toward people with disabilities but have a bad business philosophy that makes him/her think that a disabled person does not add value to his/her company.
This has a lot to do with cultural and success management factors that are deeply rooted in American business, no matter the company’s size.
Here too, information, data, and education are also key factors that have modernized the thoughts and practices of many companies.
Lack of workspace adaptation
We might think that in the 21st century the lack of adaptability of a workspace should not be a challenge for a person with a permanent disability who can accomplish a professional task simply with a degree of adaptation.
However, this remains probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenges faced by a person with a permanent disability who wants to work.
- On one hand, business policies do not always consider in-depth the implementation of improvements, reforms, or adapted spaces. They are often considered investments that are not initially contemplated, especially in small and medium-sized companies.
- On the other hand, the policies promoted by the institutions have not been excessively effective either. Although tax benefits and other types of aid and subsidies are indeed applied to create employment areas for people with disabilities, there is still a long way to go before they are fully adapted.
These are three challenges that a person with a disability faces when he/she wants to join the labor market.
However, there are many more, such as transport, family conciliation, etc. Nevertheless, fortunately, we are making more and more progress every day towards the full professional inclusion of people with disabilities.