Ive actively been encouraging my son to apply for jobs for which hes not qualified, yet any average ‘normal’ person would be able to accommodate. However my plans for him to join the working human rat/force came unstuck when I took him for an interview and he was asked to complete an examination - reading writing & maths - doh.
Poor lad he came out feeling sick, worried and I felt dreadful encouraging him to try compete with others.
I feel we cannot win (Im his carer), if we say he is disabled in some way, then the first hurdle doesnt seem to be breached. Say nothing and he may stand a chance. But then there is the question what job and where? We have applied for everything printed with no joy this year except this horrible experience I encouraged him to go through.
How does this pan out when so many disabled are expected to join the workforce?
I think it is unfair that your son is being put through these types of experiences. Surely the people who are sending him for jobs should at the very least assess him properly so they don’t send him for those types of tests that destroy his confidence and which leave hime feeling distressed.
The system is just too unfair.
It is a shocking dilemma for both you and your son to be going through.
The goverment made rulings that work places have to employ and give equal rights to a certain percentage of disabled people have to be employed .We know many work places will NOT employ disabled people due to there diffrent disabilities.Why pay a disabled person to do a job when they can employ a fit person who would do the job better,however disabled people have rights and CAN do a darn good job just as an abled bodied person could,if not better as we aime to achieve and prove we can do the tasks set before us.
If you say nothing and an employer finds out then they could sack the person on the spot.I would be truthfull from the start,the Job Centre needs to send him to interviews that fit him aptly and that he would be able to do the job and excell at it.
Im afraid to say many people with disabilities are given jobs that demean them,like collecting trollies at a supermarket rather than train them to do a better higher paid job that I am sure they can do with a little extra help and training.
I have two nephews with disabilities,one played for Wales under 11 rugby team.Both boys work,one is a life gaurd at pool and one works in a supermarket.Both have swam for wales in compititions,both got many gold,silver and bronze medals.One is in college training to be a social worker.I helped him so much with his studies and got him upto par so to speak he now excells in his studies and no longer needs my help.Why?
Because there parents faught over the years to give both boys quality of life they deserve and have…
Disabled people of any kind need to be given the chance to learn,live and excell with all areas of there lives.
If they did they would be breaking the law! The Equality Act means that no one has to reveal medical conditions or disabilities and no employer can ask about them. They also cannot fire anyone for withholding the information.
Bren - so sorry about your son’s experience. You mustn’t feel guilty though - you did nothing wrong.
Karen we know they shouldnt sack someone but I am afraid it happens and many do not fight back as the stress can be terrible.Fear of taking time off incase they are sacked due to illness means they fight through there pain and continue on as best they can often making themselves worse.
I think disabled people should be given the chance to move up in there lives and society should not hold them back.
Bren just keep trying and emcourage him,I am sure something will come along and things will look brighter…
Hi Bren. Difficult situation to be in. My 19 yr old son has Aspergers and his whole life has been difficult due to lack of help. I chose not to get him statemented at school because of the stima attatched when it Although he is not severly affected by his autism, his social skills are. He has just finished college doing Mechanical Engineering and is looking forward to finding a job but I know, deep inside, it will be very hard for him at interview time as he does not communicate very well. Also,people don’t take to him because he is blunt, to the point and what others have called ‘slightly odd’. But if he says he has Aspergers before hand, he doesn’t even get an interview. Makes me cross because if an employer would give him a chance, they would find him a very efficient worker, who doesn’t need to spend any of his day passing on work gossip. Their loss I say. Xx
P was sent to this A4E which he loved, then the government pulled the plug. He only got 6 weeks there with help looking for a job. We were then sent to jobcentre who interviewed him once and that was it, all happened last year.
No matter what is said there is NO HELP for the disabled. In an ideal world but alas its dog eat dog now, which is sad.
I felt bad because the job wasnt classed as needing basic skills - warehouse assistant. However neither of us expected what happened. I felt bad after he was devastated. He did say he didnt want the job knowing he wouldnt get it too.
We do our best, but sometimes come a cropper.
Hope you get answers this week too. If it dont rain it pours eh Poll.