The importance in National Disability Employment Awareness Month

By Stephen Salmon, Marketing Executive

​As a part of October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), I want to take this opportunity to share my own experiences of employment as a wheelchair user.

Having only become a wheelchair user in my mid-twenties, I’ve seen differences in looking for employment both as a wheelchair and non-wheelchair user.

When I was looking for part-time jobs while in school, the only thing I considered at the time was pay. When I left school to join the Army, all I had to worry about was meeting the required standards to succeed and progress. Looking back, I didn’t have much to consider when looking for jobs before I had my disability.

Searching for employment as a wheelchair user has been very different, there are extra factors that I have to face and here are a few examples:

• Travel and Location
  Due to my condition, driving is not an option – so I rely on my arms and public transport. Unfortunately, not all public transport is wheelchair-accessible and some journeys take much longer due to having to find an appropriate route.

• Access
  Simply not just being able to enter a building, but also, being able to access all areas without having to worry about navigating through a labyrinth of corridors and back entrances.

• Attitudes and Culture
  Could I find an employer who wouldn’t judge me for being a wheelchair user, before judging me as a potential employee? Could I also find a culture within a company where my disability wasn’t barrier to career progression? (You'd be surprised how many people see a wheelchair user and see problems that don't exist.)

• Work-Life Balance
  While this is already a struggle for many people, would I also be able to have this balance on top of also managing my additional health needs?

In reality, it’s hard to compare the two experiences as they are worlds apart. Going back into the working world with a disability was a challenge, but this challenge was made much easier by the inclusivity and understanding at Guidant Global.

This is based on my own experience as a manual wheelchair user and the challenges faced by somebody else with a different disability will be very different to my own. That being said, I hope my own story will help others learn about the impact that disabilities can have on someone’s employment opportunities.

Guidant Global is committed to providing a better way of working, especially for those facing unique life circumstances. If you’d like to join us in being a leading example in the world of work, view our latest opportunities here >

​