People with disabilities often have to contend with the stereotype that they need to be looked after, nurtured and protected.
So said Justene Smith, diversity facilitator at recruitment consultancy and skills development organisation, Progression, speaking at the Hope-Mandeville Disability Careers Expo at Hope School in Johannesburg last week.
The expo provided an opportunity for businesses and HR managers from a variety of companies, many in the IT space, to interact with potential employees who are disabled.
The careers expo on Wednesday and Thursday hosted about 400 students and 30 exhibitors including IBM, the SABC and the SAPS, as well as tertiary institutions such as Wits, UJ and Tshwane University of Technology.
"When we see someone with a disability, we automatically feel some pity or feelings about how we should care for or look after that person," said Smith. Workplaces often act on this response by limiting employees with disabilities' activities, attempting to protect them from tasks that are 'too hard', and thus restricting their ability to learn and grow, she continued.
"It shouldn't be [more difficult for people with disabilities to find jobs], but it is," added Paddy Slattery, a volunteer organising the event. Often they are met with low expectations that do not match what they can do, he explained.
IT is an ideal work field for people with disabilities, as communication or virtualisation technologies can easily overcome the location or movement challenges faced by a person with a physical disability, and software can assist people with sensory disabilities such as blindness, said Slattery.
IBM employs several people with disabilities and is working towards offering learnerships to bridge the gap between school and university, said Gavin Wood, head of talent acquisition at IBM SA.
Technology is a strong enabler, but it cannot stand alone, noted Wood. It must be accompanied by changes in policy and workplace environment to facilitate people with disabilities' involvement, he said.
Employer prejudice needs to be addressed in creating a workplace that is truly transformational rather than simply compliant to employment equity standards, said Smith, warning that while "compliance will follow if the goal is transformation, transformation may not follow if the goal is compliance".
Companies creating an environment in which a person with a disability feels respected, included and challenged will retain their employees more easily than organisations simply chasing compliance without tackling their workplace culture, Smith explained.
Hope School is trying to build a database of CVs of people with disabilities for potential employers to access, but would appreciate sponsorship or assistance from an IT organisation, said Slattery.
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