by Catherine Delahunty
This morning I attended a very positive event in Thames hosted by the Like Minds Like Mine team from Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki. It was a breakfast for employers to network with agencies like Workwise and Workbridge on the theme of the benefits of employing people with impairments.
One of the town’s largest employers, who runs a timber retail firm, was a speaker, and his leadership was inspiring. He works closely with Workwise to employ people who have experienced mental illness and he says this has been a great experience. Sometimes the attitudes of the able-bodied so-called “normal” staff have presented a barrier to employing people with mental health impairments, especially in management, but he has persevered.
The other barrier to employment for people with mental health impairments and other disabilities is the tired old elephant in the room: John Key’s Government’s punitive policy towards people with disabilities during the economic downturn.
It’s great to support the careful and caring work that groups like Workwise and enlightened employers are doing in the field of mental health awareness but we are in a serious employment crisis. With thousands queueing up for jobs, those with impairments and disabilities face a huge challenge in successfully finding work. Enlightened employers like those at the breakfast this morning are unfortunately in the minority, and most, when faced with a choice of an applicant with an impairment or one without, will hire the one without every time.
Meanwhile, new welfare legislation will cut the benefits of people on the sickness benefit and the DPB if they don’t do enough to find part-time jobs that don’t exist. Work and Income staff were there this morning, repeating the message of empowerment within tight turn-around times. This is pretty meaningless rhetoric in the current context.
A Treasury submission to the Welfare Working Group released yesterday is a perfect example of how those in positions of power can rationalise an attack on the powerless, assisted by numerous coloured graphs and pie charts. The essence of the submission is that we should work test everyone and then move them off benefits. It doesn’t even mention the current condition of the labour market.
I applaud the work of tangata whenua, community sector groups, and businesses working to support quality jobs with real wages for people with impairments. It’s a crying shame the Government is undermining this by creating fear and issuing threats to their welfare during what could soon be a double-dip recession.
Published in Economy, Work, & Welfare | Health & Wellbeing by Catherine Delahunty on Wed, October 6th, 2010
Tags: disabilities, disability, employment, invalids benefit, mental health, sickness benefit, Thames, Treasury, Welfare, Welfare working group
More posts by Catherine Delahunty | more about Catherine Delahunty
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
A ‘double-dip’ recession Cath?
From what I can see of the tax-hike minus the ‘cuts’ – the poor just got a whole lot poorer.
Which doesn’t worry the Government, but I’m not sure they realize who (which sector) of the economy props up small business, and what the flow on effects of a centralised economic failure will mean.
ie; what financial qualifications does Bill actually have?
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Good on you for this Catherine -my daughter, who has a disability, will lose $59 a week when this change takes place. She really, really wants to work, grabs whatever she can find whenever it presents itself, has asked her case manager to let her know of any opportunities etc. She does get occasional cleaning jobs but nothing long-term or reliable.
Meanwhile, shedding civil servants and cutting money from all levels of education is simply exacerbating the employment situation.
Daughter now lives with us (not ideal for any of us) as it is just too difficult to cope financially out there.
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