UJ research sheds light on job prospects for disabled people

Research conducted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) found that only a small percentage of South Africans with disabiliti​es are gainfully employed in the private sector.

The University’s Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), research reveals that 68 percent (68%) of adults living with disabilities have never looked for a job and that as many as 4 million disabled people in the country rely on social grants for a living.

Stanley Hutcheson, founder and director of Stanley Hutcheson & Associates, a skills development firm, believes these statistics can be attributed to long-standing negative stereotypes about people with disabilities (PWD) and their contribution to the workplace.

Hutcheson explains that companies need to become ‘disability confident’ and to achieve this; corporations simply need to arm themselves with knowledge about the community that they are engaging with. “There is no ‘one kind’ of disability and industries need to educate themselves when it comes to knowing that disabilities can range from not only physical matters but mental health as well. While these “impairments” might cause companies to assume that the PWD in question is unable to work at the same level as an able-bodied person, the truth is that disability has zero impact on a qualified candidate’s talent to perform as a successful and productive employee.”

The University’s Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), research reveals that 68 percent (68%) of adults living with disabilities have never looked for a job and that as many as 4 million disabled people in the country rely on social grants for a living.

​

Stanley Hutcheson, founder and director of Stanley Hutcheson & Associates, a skills development firm, believes these statistics can be attributed to long-standing negative stereotypes about people with disabilities (PWD) and their contribution to the workplace.

Hutcheson explains that companies need to become ‘disability confident’ and to achieve this; corporations simply need to arm themselves with knowledge about the community that they are engaging with. “There is no ‘one kind’ of disability and industries need to educate themselves when it comes to knowing that disabilities can range from not only physical matters but mental health as well. While these “impairments” might cause companies to assume that the PWD in question is unable to work at the same level as an able-bodied person, the truth is that disability has zero impact on a qualified candidate’s talent to perform as a successful and productive employee.”