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BarrIerS aNd faCILItatorS to the eMPLoyMeNt of PeoPLe WIth dISaBILItIeS IN the PuBLIC ServICe
Mahlungulu, Z.*
School of Built Environment and Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8309-1301
Khalema, N.e.
School of Built Environment and Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6353 4689
*Correspondence: mahlunguluz@ukzn.ac.za
abstract
Employment is crucial to independence and improved quality of life for people with disabilities. A thematic literature review on the employment of people with disabilities will look at literature globally and within South Africa to identify gaps in knowledge. The research question for this project is ‘What are the barriers and facilitators in employing people with disabilities in the South African public service?’. The barriers and facilitators for disability inclusion will be explored across the employment relationship. The research will be a comparative case study design carried out in the Department of Employment and Labour comparing the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu- Natal provinces of South Africa in terms of similarities, differences, and employment patterns of persons with disabilities in the two provinces. A convenient sample will be selected from employment equity officers, middle and senior managers, and people with disabilities. In-depth one-on-one interviews and a questionnaire will be utilised as research methods. Data will be analysed using thematic analysis. The results will be presented, analysed, and disseminated to government departments. Papers and posters will be presented at various academic conferences, and articles will be published in accredited journals.
Keywords: accessibility, barriers, disabilities, employment, disabilities, facilitators technology
Introduction
People with disabilities were previously excluded from actively participating in society (Mahlungulu and Khalema 2023). According to Morwane et al. (2021), employment is a form of societal participation crucial to ensuring independence for every adult (Majola and Dhunpath 2016). However, disability can limit access to the labour market, resulting in low participation and lower income (Majola and Dhunpath 2016b). Most people with disabilities earn lower incomes as they often occupy jobs that require low-level
skills (Botha and Leah 2020). Despite legislation on equity in the workplace, people with disabilities still find it hard to obtain and sustain employment. (Bonaccio et al,. 2020). Factors that contribute to the high unemployment rate of people with disabilities include inadequate education and skills, inaccessible workplaces, discrimination in the workplace, lack of rehabilitation, lack of training and insufficient information (Adewumi 2022; Carroll et al. 2018; Maja et al. 2011; Potgieter et al. 2017). The availability of assistive technology can empower people with disabilities to enhance productivity, independance and overall quality of life.
Research has shown that there are still challenges in integrating people with disabilities into public service employment (Majola and Dhunpath 2016; Potgieter et al. 2017; Morwane and Dada 2018; Vornholt et al. 2018; Charles 2019; Aroonsrimorakot et al. 2020; Bonaccio et al., 2020; Botha and Leah 2020; Adewumi 2022).
Modelling disability
The models of disability provide a conceptual outline within which disability can be understood, measured, qualified, planned for and defended (Beckett and Lawson 2021). A model is a mindset or a worldview with various philosophical assumptions associated with that viewpoint (Retief and Letšosa 2018). The most appropriate model of disability is the one that characterises what it is to live with a disability (Riddle 2020).
Several models of disability can be employed to understand the phenomena under study. The most common models are the medical and social ones (Degener 2016). The human rights model emerged from the social model (Retief and Letšosa 2018). The human rights model of disability will guide this research. It cannot be denied that the social model profoundly influenced how disability is understood in modern society (Riddle 2020). It has also significantly shaped policy for people with disabilities (Retief and Letšosa 2018). In the social model, disability is regarded as a social construct that occurs in society through discrimination and oppression (Degener 2016). Disability is blamed on society and the environment in which the individual lives. The social model has been a base and a stepping stone for the emergence of the human rights model (Riddle 2020).
The human rights model moves beyond explaining and providing a theoretical framework for policymaking; it further emphasises the human dignity of disabled persons
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