In this video, we will look at some facts and figures about people with disabilities in the workplace. What are we talking about when we speak of disability? The definition varies depending on the country. Generally speaking, disability refers to a person’s inability to live and act in their environment due to physical, mental or sensory impairments. This usually results in the person having difficulty in moving, expressing themselves or understanding others. To begin with, do you know what percentage of the French population is currently disabled? What is a hidden or invisible disability? And which of the following countries apply quotas for employing people with disabilities? The right answer to the first question is 8%. In 2013, 5.5 million people were recognised as having a disability in France. According to INSEE, there were 12 million people with disabilities in France in 2016, wich is 1 in every 6 people in France. The World Health Organization has stated that around 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, and disability rates are rising due to an ageing population and an increase in chronic health problems globally. Unlike some other categories of diversity, most of us will develop a disability at some point in our lives. In fact, more than 80% of all disabilities develop in adulthood. The vast majority of disabilities are hidden, or invisible, meaning that the difference is not immediately apparent, even if the condition is highly debilitating. Only 15% of disabilities are visible, and only 2% are restricted to a wheelchair. As a result, the academic performance and economic participation of people with disabilities are lower than those of able-bodied people, and their poverty rates are higher. Governments therefore have every interest in trying to create equal conditions for all. In France, the quota for employing people with disabilities is 6% for companies with more than 20 employees. If companies do not meet this quota, they are obliged to pay an annual contribution to a professional integration fund. Outside France, countries like Kuwait and China have also implemented quotas for companies. These quotas vary between 1% and 8%, depending on the country. Countries like the United States and the UK, which do not have a quota system, rely on anti-discrimination laws to encourage equality in recruitment practices. As you have probably understood, disability is a term that covers different types of physical, psychological and/or mental conditions, activity limitations and participation restrictions. For most of us, when we think about people with disabilities, we think about people in wheelchairs or with a guide dog. In reality, disability also includes debilitating and chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer, psychological diseases such as depression, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, and cognitive disabilities such as attention deficit disorder. Activity limitations may include being restricted to a wheelchair, limiting travel due to the lack of accessible public transportation. A person with a guide dog may not be aware of an important meeting they would like to attend, as the meeting was only announced on display boards. Disability is not only a health problem, but also a complex interaction between a person and their physical and mental condition, as well as their social environment and the society they belong to. It is important to understand the prevalence of invisible disabilities compared with the expectations and reactions of others. Whereas it is easier to recognise the special needs of a person in a wheelchair or with a guide dog, people with an invisible condition are often overlooked or even treated with contempt and accused of faking a disability to receive disability benefits. People assume what you can and cannot do based on your appearance. To encourage the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace, it is important to identify and mitigate environmental and social barriers by improving our awareness and understanding of disability. One solution is to promote access to education, healthcare and other consumer services by investing in special programs for people with disabilities and involving them in the creation and implementation of these programs.
