Handout – Section One (a): Highlighting Accessibility issues

You are playing the role of a new employee with reduced mobility. You have won the position of accounts clerk in a small private company (60 employees). You have been working with the company for three weeks.

On the first day that you reported for work you had to stay with security personnel for three hours because there was no office at ground level where they could accommodate you. Ultimately, they decided to give you the rest of the day off so that they could vacate someone in order to give you a workstation. When you reported on the second day, you discovered that they had vacated one of the offices downstairs for you to use, whereas the accounts department that you are working with and reporting to is on the first floor. There is no lift to get you there. Therefore, you have had to struggle along by always sending messengers to and fro with your work. This situation is not a comfortable position because you have to be overly nice to people in order to obtain assistance and to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in your work. However, you were willing to put up with it, until today when you found out that it was the Accountant’s birthday and they had organized a cake and a small celebration at lunchtime in her office. No one told you about it and you were not invited. Although people are very nice and friendly to you when they see you, you actually feel very alone; you like the work and know it’s hard to get a job, but when you go home you feel like crying; it’s stupid, you can’t complain because they did not invite you to the party, but you don’t think you will ever fit in and be a real part of the team.

Today you are going to meet with a new consultancy in town that help to facilitate employment for people with disabilities. Ask them for their advice…. what do you want to do?