To want to understand how disabled MNers manage to be employed?

I work part time but did work full time before I became to ill. I had the job before my disabilities really started to significantly impact me. I feel like if I lost this job I'd be unemployable. I work in a large company so it's not as bad getting cover for sick leave and appointments. My work are very understanding and flexible. But I absolutely wouldn't pass a probationary period in a new job even if I was lucky enough to get hired in the first place. I use all my holidays for appointments and it still doesn't cover them so I don't ever feel like I get a true break. I would say my attendance level in an average year was about 50/60 % mainly due to hospital admissions, recovering from surgeries and just flare ups. I have a mix of mental and physical health conditions

1. I work for myself. In a role that's intrinsically linked to my disability.

1. I work for myself so I'm the one who chooses the reasonable adjustments. However I have appeared on Teams calls propped up with pillows- this is only with clients who know me very well though.

1. Sort of built my job around the lived experience of being disabled because I knew my chances of being employed were slim. I haven't been disabled all my life though.

1. A lot of it is lived experience however I have done specific training courses as and when needed.

1. Work for yourself- no-one to answer to then!

1. Yep and explained with honesty.

1. There are employers out there who actively recruit for disabled people and/or have policies where disabled people meeting the essential job spec are guaranteed an interview. These tend to be but are not always in local government.

I’m not currently employed but I was.

i was a teacher. Maths degree plus pgce.
Secondary maths teachers are difficult to recruit.

I had an accident ten years into my career. The school I was working at was a local hub for disabled students so did have a lift.

i worked there for another ten years.
reasonable adjustments:
lift key to use the lift
in fire practices didn’t have to leave the building

that was about it.
i had to fight them over time off for physio and space to charge my wheelchair when I got an electric one.

it wasn’t easy and I pretty much knew no other school was ever likely to employ me.

I’ve been to many many teaching conferences and got involved with international exchanges and working with new teachers and I’ve never met another one who uses a wheelchair.

covid did for me. Reasonable adjustments and covid precautions/changes in education didn’t go together. At one point all the kids were staying in the same classroom and the teachers moved and I just couldn’t do it.

I have MS and ADHD, work full time, have 2 kids at home, one PDA, and I'm doing my master's

I work in HE wellbeing as management for a very understanding team, have just been through occ health and they have suggested flexibility with home working and time off for appointments.

I needed a degree. Have experience in a wellbeing role previously.

I had the disability when I started but wasn't diagnosed. I have had the odd day off but passed 6 months probation in Jan. The team want me for my expertise and we're grateful how I brought the team back together after they had a very difficult time before I arrived. I have updated so many processes that they have been blown away (deans words, not mine) by my work. They don't want to let me go. In fact they offered a higher wage instead of me leaving to a better paid position.

I have gaps, but only include the last 10 years and I have been studying/working in that time.

For me it was getting my degree and getting into HE. I have been happy in all my roles in HE and always felt supported. However this isn't always the case for every institution.

I think the main thing for me has been supportive teams. And getting into wellbeing so they already know and are aware of disability and that people can thrive if supported well.

So charities for instance would be a good place to look.

Going to uni, there is so much support available now, that even some of the students who seem like they will fail get a good outcome.

Also, some things have to give, so I have a cleaner.

I have autism, ADHD, EDS, history of mental health issues including depression, anxiety and self harm. I work in a professional role part time. My job is hybrid so I can work from home a couple of days a week. I’ve built up trust over time so now if I’m having a day where I can’t go in I can say I’m wfh and it’s fine. It was a struggle getting to this point though and have worked my way up, I’ve put a lot of effort in over the years to compensate for my weaknesses. It’s been very hard but now get the flexibility I need.