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.

@Worrysaboutalot

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.

Have you applied for PIP?

If you qualify and can swap the mobility element for a Motability car that can take a lot of the stress out of car hunting, financing and adapting (although you do often have to pay for adaptions, but they tend to be reasonably priced).

Just to be aware that the civil service (and the DWP in particular) has the highest disability discrimination claim rates of any employer. Whilst policies and accreditation are all good, they don't always reflect the reality, and attitudes can vary dramatically between locations. Also, they can be far more accommodating of physical disability compared to invisible disability, so you may find them proactively supportive of your mobility needs, but far less so regarding your other conditions.

Sorry to be negative, unfortunately my experience of the civil service (working in HR/ workforce development!) is pretty poor.

The Motability scheme is popular for suitable vehicles. Have a look and see if it would be suitable for you OP.

www.motability.co.uk/

I work as a data analyst for a very large Financial organisation (HQ in USA with >50,000 employees worldwide)
If you had the necessary skills, none of your attributes listed would preclude you from doing my job. They are not fussed if you are in a wheelchair, it would be seen as irrelevant as all our offices are very accessible and cater for wheelchairs. The main challenge would be your deafness for online meetings (Covid situation) but they would find a way, it would be seen as an interesting challenge.
Colleagues I work with would be accommodating and would not really care about your physical challenges (in a good way). It is all about whether you can do the job.
Ask them if they accommodate your challenges. if they answer easily and happily then it should be all good. If when you ask, they seem to put up barriers, then walk (No pun intended) away. That type of employer will be annoying to work for.

I’d ignore the PP with the civil service disability claim stats.

1. They’re a massive employer so unsurprising that there’s loads

2 private companies much more like to settle a claim to avoid Tribunal

1. They are huge so don’t discount them for jobs!!

Do take a look at Access to Work funding as well. You may not be able to claim it until you are in a job but I know people who have successfully claimed for the following:-

Dragon Dictation software for dyslexia
Taxis to and from work
Second mobility scooter suitable for work

I think the important thing is to work out what you have to offer an employer rather than your limitations. Work on your cv to bring them out. Unless it's a pure wfh job you need to work out transport before you can apply, and be realistic in whether you can manage full time, it sounds like you have quite a lot to deal with and you can always work up to full time. All employers must offer an interview to those with disabilities as long as they fit the criteria for the job.

Remember you have a lot to offer, you need to be able to do the job from a wheelchair of course but assuming it's desk based you will find most employers will be ok (a few exceptions obviously like they are in a listed building without a lift!)

@Mischance

It depends on the layout, not all buildings can be adapted. My friends were put on the priority list for a bungalow because adapting their house was going to be very extensive and render it unsuitable for future tenants (council owned)

Have a look at Evenbreak www.evenbreak.co.uk/en, a jobs agency that specialises in helping disabled jobseekers

@Worrysaboutalot I’d recommend that you try getting in contact with a charity called Remap. They can advise you about fitting a ramp etc. Do you have any side or back doors that have fewer steps? I had a problem leaving my house because the front door was too narrow for most ramps which remap helped with. Good luck!

I'm disabled (not a wheelchair user) but I dont tick the box because I don't want to waste my time with companies who are just interviewing me because they have to. I think it's a personal decision, but bear it in mind.

Ime big banks/law firms/City type companies will be very keen to recruit from a variety of backgrounds and will ensure that you are able to access your work.

Honestly? Unless you have the skill set they need and others don't, and you live within reach of where that job is, it's very difficult. I'm not saying that to put you off, more that if you find it hard going, it's because it is, not because you aren't trying hard enough.
There's a reason why some job centers will refuse to allow you to sign on as unemployed and insist you have to go onto ESA instead.
Charities, v.large companies that want a quota, and third sector are your most likely targets.
Gain every skill you can, take every course available to you. I'll get shot down for saying this, because it's not what anyone wants to admit, but generally (not always) you need to be better than everyone else to be seen as equal.
Don't let it put you off, just accept it can be a challenge.
Consider self employment if you have skills you can build.
Soft skills: look at what you can do, not what you can't. Carry that mindset with you and get others to view you through it. Find your unique selling point.
It's a bad time to be trying to get work for everyone and an employers market. You have 20 years left in which you can do funded access courses, and take out a loan and go to university (if you haven't previously) so in the longer term, maybe a whole new career plan is an option that might be worth looking at.

Good luck! My old manager was in a wheelchair and could only move her hand so had her PA come in in the day to help her with personal care and I'd help her if her arm was too far over or hold her coffee cup for her or help if she 'lost her head' as she put it (I'd push her head back up so it was rested on her chair). She was lovely and a marvelous manager who just needed a little extra help. I wish you the best of luck OP.

I have been at hospital today and then getting my small kids ready for start of school tomorrow.

I have read the thread and thank you for the useful information and will respond to the questions etc after tomorrow's hospital appointment. :)

@Moonfig

I'm disabled (not a wheelchair user) but I dont tick the box because I don't want to waste my time with companies who are just interviewing me because they have to. I think it's a personal decision, but bear it in mind.

I can understand where you’re coming from with this, but since the OP has been out of work for a long time, she might well still benefit from the interview practise, even if she doesn’t get the job.

I work for a large corporate (in a regional office) and being a wheelchair user would make absolutely no difference to whether we hired you or not.
We have a couple of wheelchair users already (that I know of) and others with other physical disabilities. We'd have provisions in place to accommodate any requirements you might have (such as rest breaks, fire evacuation provision, hospital appointments etc).

Good luck with sorting out your housing and wheelchair OP. It seems so unfair that it's made so difficult for people in your situation.

I think PP posters are right. I need to sort out getting out of the house and either bus or car access before I start throwing new jobs into the mix.

I have bookmarked this thread and will be using the good advice in it, when I am more ready to restart working.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to post I really apricate it.

Good luck op. Let us know how you get on.

@dooratheexplorer

Good luck op. Let us know how you get on.

Will do

Though I am currently concentrating on getting out of my house and seeing if I can drive again and if yes sort out a car. As these will increase where I can work.

Little update

1. I now have a second hand wheelchair ramp installed outside over the six steps. My wonderful DH and his friend fitted it for us.

1. We had a new front door installed with low threshold . Just need a specialized door closer to allow me to use front door without needing someone else to hold door open and close it behind me. Should arrive mid January. Then I can leave the house independently. :)

1. I have passed the driving assessment practical test and now have a medical driving license from DVLA limiting me to five years driving before I reapply for a further medical licence and I must use hand adaptions when I drive. So I have a full driving licence back, hurrah

1. I am eligible for a mobility car via PIP, once I find the £3.5K up front payment on my three year lease. I have applied and I have been told that due to Covid, Brexit and some engine redesign issue, it will be April 2021 at the earliest. But I am on their list and one day at some point in 2021, I will be driving independently.

1. Health wise. I am the same, just getting use to my new normal and trying to be positive. Looking forward to 2021, a fresh start.

Really hoping I can end 2021 with a job and start bringing in money for our family,

Try the NHS. Apart from a tiny number of small clinics in outdated premises, NHS buildings will all be accessible and have suitable loos as well.

Thanks for updating OP. Sounds like it's time to start brushing off and updating your cv.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Try the NHS. Apart from a tiny number of small clinics in outdated premises, NHS buildings will all be accessible and have suitable loos as well.

Thank you. I will try them first.

@Porcupineintherough

Thanks for updating OP. Sounds like it's time to start brushing off and updating your cv.

CV all done.

As I was applying for jobs before I totally fell to pieces around March 2020 and needed it.

I just need to get the kids back to school and then I will have time to dedicate to application forms!