April 2008

Even when disabled people are placed in jobs, there can be a lot of resistance from able-bodied staff

Even when disabled people are placed in positions of gainful employment there are often problems later on down the line as able-bodied employees often don't understand the challenges facing disabled employees, or, worse, feel threatened.

This is according to Karen Geldenhuys, MD of Pretoria-based IT recruitment company, Abacus Recruitment. Since forming a specialised recruiting division to place disabled people during the first quarter of 2007, the company has managed to find employment for more than 40 disabled people. Unfortunately, in the process, it has discovered that there can be a number of "hiccups further down the line", especially during the probation period faced by employees - which is generally the first three months of any new employment contract.

"In quite a few cases we have encountered problems when it comes to disabled staff integrating with able-bodied employees at their new places of employment. Often the problems are due to ignorant. For instance, able-bodied people find it hard to understand - and accept - why disabled people face some very real problems, some of which are viewed as "simple" or, in some circumstances, unacceptable. One of these problem areas is that disabled people take longer to go to the toilet. This might seem supercilious - but it appears many able-bodied people don't understand the fact that disabled people take longer to finish a visit to a toilet - or they just don't like the fact that they are 'allowed' to take longer. It must be remembered that, sometimes, just getting to the toilet can be a mission - especially if the workplace is not designed to accommodate people who have disabilities, or who are in wheelchairs.

"This resistance - and feelings of tension - often come from able-bodied staff members who are employed at the same level as a disabled colleague. They feel it is unfair that disabled people are allowed to take what they often regard as liberties - and they feel threatened. Many feel that they are doing a better job and, yet, must now compete for promotion with a disabled staff member. They are concerned that the method of rating work performance is skewered.

"But," said Geldenhuys, "integration problems don't only come from able-bodied workers. Very often disabled workers feel that they are maligned; that they are being held back from promotion due to their physical limitations. They feel frustrated by this, often feeling 'stuck' in dead-end jobs."

Geldenhuys said that tensions often build up the most where there are a number of disabled people working at one company, especially if it is in one department, or section, of the company. "In these instances, able-bodied people can feel overwhelmed. They feel they are being victimised due to feelings of insecurity. They feel that disabled workers are 'taking over', that they are being treated unfairly, and fear that their jobs - or chances of promotion - are threatened due to an imbalance in work delivery expectations.

"A large part of this antagonism comes from a lack of understanding. People often don't understand that disabled people have a lot to offer the economy. That they have a lot of experience. But because they are seen as different, they are regarded as lower grade citizens - and lower grade workers."

Abacus Recruitment recently placed a number of disabled staff members at a large retailer. Problems occurred and the company went on a 'fact-finding' mission to uncover what was going wrong with the integration process. Staff members were interviewed by Abacus consultants and employees.

Some problems occurred and Abacus discussed it with the HR Manager. Thereafter Abacus distributed a questionnaire to all the employees of the retailer to determine their knowledge and misconception of people with disabilities. "Abacus Recruitment," explained Geldenhuys, "then gave this information back to the retailer to use - in order to prevent any new, or more, problems occurring between the staff.

"As a recruitment company we can only do so much. It is not really within our mandate to adopt a human resources and trouble-solving roll after the placement of staff. We do try and offer as much assistance as we can as it is important that we find the right people for the jobs, and that integration at the work place goes as smoothly as possible. But, at the end of the day, the onus really lies with the employer's human resources department -especially if they are a big company. If issues in the workplace are identified and tackled early on they can be resolved. It really is a case of crisis management. No-one should expect a smooth integration all time - even with able-bodied appointments. When it comes to disabled people working side-by-side with able-bodied people, closer attention needs to be paid to work situations, and issues, early on. If this is done, a lot of the problems can be ironed out before they become major issues and create major conflict in the workplace.

"It must always be remembered," said Geldenhuys, "that there are a lot of disabled people who can add a lot of value at the workplace - and to the economy at large. This needs to be acknowledged and, if need be, other staff members need to be educated. The current levels of ignorance are alarming as is, in some instances, the almost palpable animosity."

Drawing a parallel

Drawing a parallel, Geldenhuys said a disabled person is viewed almost in the same light as a women's right activist: if a feminist wants equal rights and wants to be recognised as equal to men, then why must males open car doors for them? "It is a case of, ok, you want to be recognised as equal - so be treated as equal then. This might be a valid point- and it is one that can be debated at length. However, it is far easier to conclude that women who want to be treated as equal should perhaps not expect car doors to be opened for them. But a disabled person who wants to be treated as equal just cannot do the same things that able-bodied people can do. Certainly not on a physical level. This is where the conundrum lies."