The Government is implicated in creating negative attitudes to disabled

It is the 40 years since the first Disability Act was enacted and to mark the occasion the BBC commissioned a survey into the public's attitude to disabled people. Interestingly 90% of people thought the Government should do more to help disabled people into work. I found this outlook really refreshing as I recently wrote a piece for the Guardian discussing the need for the Government to recognise that disabled employment must be a two-way conversation: disabled people must be willing to work but employers must be willing to hire. Despite the Government refusing to discuss the fact that it is harder for disabled people to find work, it was great that the average person recognises it as a problem.

Where the BBC survey results were less positive, were in its findings that 40% of people think disabled people would "refuse work even when they have been found capable of doing it". This figure rose to over 50% amongst young respondents and those on low incomes.

Clearly there is a negative perception of disabled people in the UK, which can undoubtedly be attributed in part to right-wing media representation of the disabled. The Daily Mail is notorious for this. A recent front page screamed,  "75% of claimants are fit to work", and carried on: "Tough new benefits test weed out the workshy".

You expect this kind of thing from the Daily Mail. But what shocked me is that the 75% figure came from a press release from the Department of Work and Pensions. And the figure is wrong. So it amounts to blatant Government propaganda. 

The Government has reached its 75% figure by adding together the 39% of people found 'fit to work' and the 36% of people who have removed their claim during the assessment process. This 36% figure is problematic as there is much anecdotal evidence that those withdrawing their claims are those suffering from mental illness who found the process too frustrating and had a negative impact upon their health condition. So the truth is that the Government has no idea what happens to these 36% of people, as it doesn't track those who withdraw their claim. Which also means that the Government has no idea why they stop the claims process, although of course the Mail is quick to claim its because they were merely 'trying it on'.

But let's turn our attention to the number of successful appeals against ATOS's 'fit to work' decisions. When you follow the 'Notes to editors' link on the DWP's very own press release it reveals a more in-depth report which shows that every month on average 40% of appeals against ATOS are upheld and the appellant is awarded ESA. On average, one third of claimants found 'fit to work' appealed against their decision and 40% were successful with their appeal. So if you do the math, once the whole process including appeals is complete, the DWP is wrong to say 39% are fit to work. In fact, 34% are found fit to work. So overall, at best 70% of ESA claimants are 'fit to work' although my guess is that this would be lower still if those 36% who dropped out of the process were given the right initial support to continue with their claim.

Let me remind you that the Government has access to this data, I've taken it directly from its own report. Yet although the release quotes Grayling saying he is "determined to get the medical test right" the successful appeals against the test are entirely omitted from his ESA headline statistics. 5% may be a small difference, but it is a difference none-the-less when you think that this current Government is so focused on transparency and providing accurate information to its citizens.

So it is seems that the Government has decided to spin the statistics associated with who is and isn't fit to work. Perhaps it suits its current agenda for the public to think that the majority of ESA claimants are 'scroungers'? Perhaps ministers realise they can only get the public to accept their massive welfare cuts if the public think the money is going to the undeserving. 

And this might explain why, in today's BBC survey, the number of people who think disabled people choose not to work rises amongst those people who are most struggling to get by in life or get a job. So the Government at least seems to be doing well at one thing: pitting one set of welfare cut losers against another.

Would you hire a disabled person? Honestly?

So how many people have filled in job application forms and come across questions about your health such as: "How many days have you been sick? How does this reflect your usual level of sickness?" and then the sentence "An offer of appointment will be subject to completion of a health questionnaire."

Under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) it's illegal to discrimate against candidates on the basis of a disability. But why would any company ask such questions if it doesn't have the intention of weeding out the physically weaker amongst it's candidates?

The DDA act has a major loophole that massively works against a disabled person. You're meant to disclose a disability BEFORE you are given a job offer, in theory so that the company knows it can make reasonable adjustments to your condition. If you don't do so then you risk adjustments not being made to suit your disability, or worse, being accussed of misleading your employer about your abilities. But how would you ever know that the employer balked at the thought of hiring someone disabled and turned you down for the position purely because of your illness? Disabled people have to make the decision whether to declare or not to declare. Personally if your illness isn't obvious I recommend keeping quiet. If it is obvious, directly raise the issue in your job interview, even if your employer does not, and make your case for why it won't affect your work.


Recent government proposals have focused on getting people off incapacity benefits and back into work. Ian Duncan Smith talks passionately about not letting people "languish" on incapacity benefit, and wants to work with them to help improve their job prospects.

But let's just acknowledge the white elephant in the room surrounding these proposals. Improving a disabled person's attitude to work is just half of it. Employers also need to change their attitude to disabled people.

A survey carried out in June 2009 for the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) found that 73% of employers would not hire people on Incapacity Benefit (now Employment and Support Allowance) or older people.

Every business needs to make a profit and I suppose an uneducated employer believes that someone with a disability will take more time off sick, complete less work and be overall less productive.

Well as someone who worked very hard for years while living with CF the reality is different:

• I took less time off work for run of the mill illnesses as I didn't want to seem like I was always being ill. 
• Since I was little I've been subject to a very strict medical regime, which when translated to a work environment meant I was incredibly well organised and worked very efficiently.
• I was good at problem solving as I've often had to find ingenious ways to manage my health while out and about (think sitting in a police riot van to use my electric nebuliser when I couldn't find a plug anywhere else) - lateral thinking that is easy transferable and beneficial to a working environment. 
• And crises at work get solved because I've gone through worse things in life - a cool, level head can normally find a way to solve even the biggest cock-ups

Overall many disabled people have an attitude and life skills which bring diversity and strength to a work force. But unless perceptions radically change amongst employers disabled people will continue to face insurmountable barriers when trying to get back into work - work which is hard enough for anyone to find during these weak economic times.

If the government really wants to reduce what it spends on disabled people it must find a way to open the eyes of employers so they become willing to see past their fears and instead recognise the positive aspects an illness can bring.