An Introduction to Disability Studies - Term Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages This document is set to discuss the major benefits associated with the hiring and employment of disabled qualified people in different business organizations. The productivity of Disabled People at Workplaces In Canada, an estimated 13% of the total population has a disability affecting their agility, mobility, vision, hearing, and or learning (Canadians in Context, 2006). This estimate is less other disabilities such as psychological, pain, speech, memory and developmental disabilities; which when included sums up to an estimated 4.4 million Canadians with disabilities, which is about 14.3 % of the population (Canadians in Context, 2006). No matter the number one decides to quote, the basic fact still remains that the fraction of the people living with disabilities across the globe has been on a constant increase down the years. Disability is not age conscious and can come at any stage in life, either being temporary or permanent, mild or severe. Once asked, an Ottawa business executive commented that: “disability is no longer a dirty word. Now we are trying to make the term disability acceptable and another part of the business. In the next 10 years, when you say you have a disability, it will just mean that I work differently than you do” (Sobecki, 2007). A 2009 survey commissioned by Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities pointed out that disabled adults are less likely to participate in the labor force. According to the report, only 52.1% of the total disabled women are employed as compared to 70.1% of the women without disabilities. Furthermore, the ratio is similar in men where the percentage of the disabled men employed was 55.5 while that for men without disabilities stood at 80.2 (Advancing the Inclusion, 2009). Archaic times saw medical conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy perceived or rather viewed as disabilities which hindered the participation and succeeding of people in workplaces (Brightman, 2006). However, Brightman (2006) asserts that much has been done to eliminate this notion via awareness campaigns, accommodation, and accessibility, individuals with various different disabilities have emerged to form an integral part of the contemporary business world. The major reason behind this scenario is that major organizations, governments, employers and co-workers have come to look past such illnesses and are working together with disabled personalities helping them much in their quest for success (Sobecki, 2007). In the USA, the 1990’s Americans with Disability Act (ADA) presents employers with numerous opportunities to tap people with disabilities into their workforce (Barlow and Hane, 1992). According to the ADA, people with disabilities have the same and equal access to employment opportunities and their related benefits just as everyone else is. Other than prohibiting discrimination in the employment of the disabled, it also covers other services like public transportation, state and local government activities, and telecommunications relay services as well (Barlow and Hane, 1992). In essence, the meaning of the ADA is that every person seeking employment is totally free to forward their applications to any job they feel qualified enough to carry on with. The ADA defines a disabled individual as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such impairment.” ...Download file to see next pagesRead More