Looking for work in a wheelchair

[Worrysaboutalot]

That's it really.

I was looking for work before lockdown as I have been a SAHM for the last few years. Once my hospital appointments have scaled back to a reasonable level, I will continue to look for work.

How do I find out if a company has disabled access to their buildings? How do I find out which companies will want to employee me? I am very worried that noone will want the hassle and overlook me, just because of the chair.

I also have invisible chronic bowel condition and I am deaf and hard of hearing too but I lip read well enough and wear an hearing aid too

I know council jobs give interviews to those that 'identify' as disabled, so guess I can tick that box now. Plus I have applied to several charity jobs which are home based, so I will keep on doing that.

I know about 'access to work' providing necessary adaptions if they can but they might not be timely.

Basically any advice, ideas, positive stories welcome.

What sort of job are you looking for and full time or part time? Government jobs tend to be very open to applicants with disabilities and their buildings will be accessible.

Applying to public sector jobs is a good idea as they are usually good at accommodating disabilities and as you say, you should always at least get to interview stage. Plus they're usually good at flexible and home working which is likely to be useful with a bowel condition. Good luck!

Not really sure atm. I have applied for both full time and part time posts pre lockdown. I was volunteering at my local school but they are not using volunteers when school reopens.

I wouldn't mind volunteering again if it led to a job. Maybe I should go to college and retrain, I am only in my forties.

Basically I apply for anything I can do which looks interesting/profitable, lol

RealMermaid
Thank you.

I work for a small- medium sized charity and we have employed wheelchair users before. We would have no problem with someone ringing to ask about accessibility before interview (hr would deal with that, the selection panel wouldnt know) and our policies mean that we would be obliged to make sure the interview room was accessible for any shortlisted candidates.

For the last lady, what made the job unworkable was nothing to do with us but was everything to do with her commute and the shocking inability of northern rail to reliably convey her from where she lived to our city. Poor woman got stranded so many times.

I have yet to get a way of leaving my house independently atm. Six steps down to the pavement but clearly I wasn't expecting this to happen to me but I knew we are all just an accident or illness from becoming disabled.

Still talking to an OT from our local council. Hoping they will help. I am still trying to get to terms with having to use (and self fund as I needed an electric outside chair and the council only give manual chairs to be use inside.)

Then I need to sort out the bus travel thing, also trying to get assessed to keep my driving license with adaptions restrictions. Then try and fund a suitable car and pay for the adaptions.

Yes, I have a lot to do. Including two hospital appointments and often an doctors appointment too but that should stop. Any they can only hold me stable not cure me.

But I want to work, I need to work to rebuild the family savings which is all being spent on me and I feel wretched about it.

I work in the civil service. I'm interviewing at the moment. I'd never know if a recruit was in a chair unless they used it to sit in for the interview, and then any thoughts I would have would be positive. Deafness also easily surmountable. I am certain my colleagues would be the same. We are all wfh for the foreseeable with equipment being sent to us from the office to make adjustments to our home set up.

Do health OTs not provide chairs? We generally only provide 1 and you'd need to choose between powered and manual.
I spoke to a guy in a BT call centre recently. No idea how it came up but he said he was a wheelchair user.

There are some environments where using a wheelchair would be difficult - builder, police officer, front line armed forces but quite frankly, I'm struggling to think if many areas where the wheelchair would be your barrier. People's attitudes may be more difficult but with a solid skill set you could probably do pretty much anything! What do you fancy doing?

Google disability confident, it's an employer scheme. My civil service employer has received the highest rating possible.

Large corporates will generally be hot on access. I have worked for various companies in london in office jobs and a have had:

• ramps/level access everywhere, including all meeting rooms, canteen etc.
• accessible toilets on every floor (usually a very large space including a shower)

I think these days physical disabilities are far less of a barrier to work than mental. I've had colleagues with:

• wheelchairs & sticks
• hearing impairments
• a guide dog in the office

It's quite normal, HR & occupational health will organise desk assessments etc to adjust a work space at the drop of a hat.

The bigger barrier will be your own skills/experience. Have you got qualifications? If you haven't worked for a long time that will be the bigger issue, not the fact that you are in a wheelchair.

With a lot of companies allowing WFH at the moment this might continue to be more available and worth looking for.

What are your qualifications/experiences? What are you good at?

Focus on that and then the issues you have identified in terms of your disability. Employers especially large ones have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments and quite frankly many of them are delighted to be able to show a diverse workforce.

I think you need to think about where you want to work/want you want to dofirst.

My sister is disabled and uses a wheelchair. She used to work in the Civil Service but now works for the NHS, all admin/ office type roles.

Big companies have accessibility policies on their websites. Most have to comply with detailed legislation. Small employers will be the hit&miss ones. If you need lip reading that will be a challenge in COVID times.

Unless you find something WFH, I Think you need to sort out your front door access first, though! One task at a time.

It makes me so cross that the LA and health authority have not even made your own house accessible. I am moving to a new house soon and rang the community OTs about having a stairlift fitted. I was told that it would take a year to deal with the financial aspects and get it fitted. I could have fallen downstairs hundreds of times by then! I will borrow money if needs be and just get on with it.

Second public sector and government.Most organisations will have a statement on their website about disability.

I would do your own research and see what you can find out about the company before applying. Websites often have photos of the location/building and disability access info especially those that are open to the public.

Basically do anything to avoid asking them direct so you can arrive and be fabulous at the interview without giving them chance to think beforehand about your disability.

You could even phone anonymously and ask any questions you have in a none obvious way.

Sadly there are still twats out there who will see nothing but the disability but it is so so wrong.

I'm in an almost identical sounding situation to you right now OP. Luckily we don't have six steps to negotiate at home.

Following this thread.

Avoid companies based in old fashioned city centres in quirky listed buildings as they are often insurmountably horrible for access.

NHS facilities look well designed - the practice manager at my last GP's surgery was in a wheelchair and the reception area was clearly planned well for her with plenty of access space.

Modern offices are generally likely to be accessible, offices tacked onto warehouses less so.

Look at NHS jobs.

I work in a big bank, they are very accomodating of disabilities, as all employers should. Bigger companies are often better as it is easier for them to make adjustments.

What sort of work do you fancy? What area of the country are you in?

Big companies have accessibility policies on their websites.

Which is usually about the accessibility of the website though. Not accessibility to buildings.

Before you start looking at buildings, it’d be helpful to know; your qualifications, your experience, any skills and expertise. It’s a bit hard to advise otherwise. The public sector is often very positive and welcoming to people with a range of needs and obviously, ‘the public sector’ is huge.

OP, I'm hearing and visually impaired with an assistance dog. I am in employment but have been trying to find something else for the past two years. I totally sympathise.

You could look for employers who have the 'disability confident' symbol although imo its just a badge. It doesn't mean they will employ you. My current employer claims to be disability confident and they most definitely are not.

Lots of disability organisations have employment services but they tend to be low paid, part time, temporary jobs - as though disabled people are not capable of anything better. It pisses me off.

Evenbreak is a good website though to check out. Civil Service jobs also are meant to be disability confident so check out their website.

Agree with others at public sector jobs are probably the easiest way forward. Local or county councils, NHS, Civil Service (which includes civilian military jobs - do you have a military base near you?) and myriad other organisations like the Environment Agency, Met Office, Hydrographic Office, Prison Service etc.

You don’t need to be highly qualified as many organisations have reception and admin staff.