“When you see these type of job postings, it’s no surprise they’re not working at the same rate as their nondisabled peers.” This listing was particularly egregious to me because I’m a disabled journalist, and I started my career in 2016 as a summer intern for amNewYork, a Newsday-owned publication that covers New York City. Even though she has a stable job, Estochen said she’s worried about encountering similar job listings in the future if her scoliosis gets worse — which it already is. Only 25.1% of persons with disabilities have some form of employment, in comparison to 51.6% of the general population. Get Your Custom Essay on, Effects of Lack of Employment among Disabled People, © Copyright Eikra 2020. A news outlet that needs a reporter who can churn out content, for example, could list a certain number of stories required per day rather than a typing speed, said Kristin Gilger, director of the National Center on Disability and Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. They’re pervasive across professional industries, from news media to finance to higher education. Yet, it is all too common for career pages to use phrases such as “the ability to talk and hear” or “ability to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl” to describe job functions that aren’t actually “essential” to the job, effectively screening out people with a variety of disabilities who might otherwise be able to do the work, according to Robyn Powell, an attorney specializing in disability law and policy. They reveal the majority struggle to find employment, while the small percentage who is employed lack opportunity for advancement. Second, PWDs may be less productive than people without disabilities and entail higher labor costs, including insurance costs. people with disabilities perform on par or better than their nondisabled peers. So I decided to ask Newsday publicly on Twitter why the organization had included these exclusionary job qualifications on not just one, but what I realized were several of their job postings — including one for a director of market research and a circulation compliance analyst. “During that period of time, I was lucky enough to have this job already nailed down where I’m able to work remotely and I was able to work from my bed for like a week. Their historically low levels of employment have always represented a massive missed opportunity. One of the reasons is because of discrimination in the workplace,” said Powell, who is disabled herself. A couple of hours later, I checked Newsday’s employment website again. We are the most reliable web custom writing service providers, guaranteeing original top notch mark papers. Job candidates aren’t the only ones who miss out when a disability unfairly costs them a position. Thus, failure to employ disabled people affects their wellbeing, status in society and their health (Hanga, DiNitto & Pierre Wilken 2016). since persons with disabilities often lack access to education, health services and income- generating activities: they are often denied their human, social and economic rights. “As you want to attract the best possible people to your workplace, you don’t want to discourage a number of highly qualified people who don’t want to apply because they see these sort of requirements,” Gilger said. Even though the law bars such discrimination, it can be difficult for these Americans to … Entering the job market after leaving education can prove a tough challenge for anyone in today’s climate. Dr. Scott Standifer, a clinical associate professor at the School of Health Professions at the University of Missouri-Columbia, says that a lack of awareness of employment resources, a lack of planning by the individuals combined with discrimination against those with disabilities are factors that prevent adults with ASD from having sustained and successful careers5. “That’s just not good for people’s health.”. The routines, the responsibilities a… Whereas the ability to “reach, bend, lift, push, pull and carry a minimum of 25 pounds” might be important for a fitness trainer, the prerequisite is more dubious for a reporter or market researcher. Disabled people constantly face barriers to employment, resulting in more unemployment, lack of motivation, and lower salaries earned compared to people without disabilities. Although employment discrimination against people with disabilities was outlawed in 1990 through the Americans with Disabilities Act, discrimination in the workplace still exists, for a variety of rea Overall, 8.5% more men with disabilities are settling for part-time work because they cannot find full-time employment, compared to adult men without disabilities who are A lack of understanding of what assistive technology is available; Lack of confidence around employing and managing disabled people, and a fear of “getting it wrong” Attitudinal barriers from disabled applicants can include: A lack of confidence in applying, having been rejected many times before on declaration of a disability … The share of adults with disabilities who are working by some measures hasn't improved since the ADA was passed in July 1990. Socioeconomic status is a determinant factor for the overall functioning of human beings. Diverse workplaces see a better bottom line, and people with disabilities are especially innovative employees because they have to navigate a world that’s designed for abled people instead. It determines their mental, physical and emotional health. The Americans With Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, applies to employment from the moment a job is advertised, not just once someone is hired, Powell said. The unemployment rate for people with a disability is more than double than for those without. This limits the opportunities of the disabled people to earn income causing them to live in poverty. Part of HuffPost Work/Life. “People with disabilities are entirely underemployed. We’re sorry for the error and any misunderstandings,” Grabina-Como wrote. women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, or LGBTI people) in relation to employment discrimination? The costs of job turnover, such as lost productivity and expenses related to recruitment and training, are well known to most employers. The job listing advertised a general assignment reporter role for the Long Island-based newspaper in New York. “Newsday has a long and proud track record of inclusive recruiting and hiring,” Grabina-Como added in a phone interview Friday, although she wouldn’t share how many people with disabilities Newsday actually employs. The lack of employment among people with disability impacts negatively on their socioeconomic status. People with disabilities reported a lack of opportunities to obtain vocational and higher education to prepare them for the job market. Published: 17 Apr 2017 By Holly O'Mahony. Lack of knowledge or confidence regarding what is needed to support workers with disability. Regardless of disability status, the likelihood of having a flexible work schedule was higher for persons with at least a bachelor's degree than for those with less education. “I’ve encountered tons of discrimination when I’ve applied for jobs and in the hiring process. When I saw that listing online, I couldn’t help but think of the journalism students and aspiring reporters with disabilities who might have seen it and decided not to apply. First, people with disabilities may lack the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) needed for the available jobs. 3 ” 3 Leymat, Anne etal, 2006, ‘Good Practices for the Economic Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Developing Countries Funding Mechanisms for Self- “When you’re applying for a job, the last thing you want to do is rock the boat.”. When the law was … Most people with disability live in poverty and isolation; therefore, they lack financial resources to seek health care services. ©2021 Verizon Media. Kim Grabina-Como, a communications manager for Newsday, tweeted an apology to me. On ZipRecruiter, searching for “ability to type” yields nearly 300 job postings, even though voice-recognition software is often considered a reasonable accommodation, and the phrase “25 pounds” leads to more than 950 job listings for roles such as a finance director, secretary and sales representative. Elizabeth Estochen, 28, a full-time editor based in Denver, said she has seen mobility-related qualifications on almost every single job that she’s ever applied for. But the focus of job listings should be on the job itself rather than a person’s various capabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These are real discrepancies that can, and should, be minimized. 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