Caroline Nelson was in her early twenties when she realised she was going blind.
Her eyesight deteriorated day by day, and by the time she graduated from university she had lost her sight completely.
But, 30 years on, it’s clear she hasn’t let this hold her back. Caroline is now the founder and director of Choice in Hackney, a charity helping to empower disabled people by offering them training and employment opportunities.
She is one of only 50 per cent of disabled people currently in full-time employment.
Not only are disabled people in the UK significantly less likely to be employed than people without a disability, but the latest government report, released in 2014, revealed that disabled people are now even less likely to be in employment than they were in 2012.
Cuts to disability benefits
On Wednesday, a parliamentary petition condemning cuts to disability benefits, which would leave those affected £1,500 a year worse off, reached 100,000 signatures, the number needed for a petition to be discussed in parliament.
Almost one in seven people in Hackney are disabled, and Choice, established by Caroline in 1992, aims to provide training to ensure they know their rights and get access to local employment.
One of the unique things about the charity is the fact that it is run by disabled people themselves.
They and the trustees who make the important decisions about the organisation’s day-to-day operation are the very same people it aims to help.
For Caroline, the fact that 70 per cent of its trustees and 90 per cent of its paid workers are disabled is central to the organisation’s identity, allowing them to both support and empathise with their clients.
“We understand where people are coming from,” she says.
From HR managers to housing advisors, the Choice Advocacy Training Scheme has launched people into a range of work placements and jobs in the borough.
Employment issues for disabled people in UK
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Danny* is one of its beneficiaries. Originally trained as an engineer, an accident at work left him unemployed and unable to use his hands.
After the training scheme, Danny was hired as a consultant, helping other businesses adjust to cater for the needs of disabled people.
She says in cases such as Danny’s – where people have acquired a disability late in life – training is vitally important in allowing them to improve their confidence and find new lines of work.
She says: “Danny’s case is really good but without the training it would have been very difficult for him to diversify.”
The training has allowed Danny to buy his own home and move out to Essex with his family.
Valerie, who suffers from arthritis which makes her disabled, is a current trainee consultant. Like Danny, she has found the course to be both useful and eye-opening.
“[Disabled people] don’t want to be viewed as disabled, they just want the same opportunities as everybody else,” she says.
Job opportunities
Valerie believes that creating employment opportunities for disabled people is vitally important.
“It gives them a choice about how they’re going to live their lives, it allows them to be independent, they’re not reliant solely on the state or on benefits, and it gives them the opportunity to live their lives in the fullest way possible,” she says.
Although the charity has helped more than 4,000 people like Valerie and Danny, Caroline is adamant that there are still “not enough” employment opportunities for disabled people in the borough.
“It’s very important for disabled people to get into work because they have rights like any other person and also it takes them out of the welfare dependency.”
The term disability describes those affected physically, intellectually or suffering from mental health problems.
Within this, a learning disability refers to those with a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities.
This may make it more difficult for them to interact with other people or learn new skills.
Unemployment for people with learning disabilities
Among people with learning disabilities, unemployment is even more worse, with just one in 16 in paid work.
Mark Capper, head of employer engagement at learning disability charity Mencap, says they have seen an increasing number of people reaching out for employment support in the borough.
“We know from our Mencap helpline that there is strong demand for learning disability employment services in Hackney.
“People with a learning disability represent an untapped source of labour constantly overlooked, with just six per cent in paid work.”
He says the bureaucracy of job applications as well as “ineffective government work programmes” all contributed to such a low employment figure.
This divide is not the only problem people with disabilities in the borough face when finding work.
Despite the training and opportunities offered by Choices in Hackney, disabled people are still restricted by the types of work available to them. They are often locked out of professional jobs.
As Caroline explains: “A number of disabled Hackney residents are in employment but often at the bottom of the social ladder.
“We need to get to that stage where there’s that opening of doors to be able to move up the career ladder.
“We need to be able to prove ourselves but first in order to prove ourselves we need the opportunity.”
Featured image credit: Pixabay
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