Learning Disability and Employment Opportunities in North Wales

People with a learning disability can often struggle to find suitable employment opportunities, especially in these times of economic downturn. Their learning difficulty may not necessarily be particularly severe at all, but the harsh reality of life in Britain today is that cutbacks in both the public and private sectors are limiting opportunities for everyone. North Wales is no different from any other part of the UK in this regard.

Research which has been carried out during the past decade shows that Wales has a higher percentage of people with disabilities than anywhere else in the UK. This is something which will definitely have an impact upon employment prospects for people with learning disabilities. The Welsh Assembly Government has responded to this information by consistently reiterating its commitment to work with various organisations to tackle inequalities and promote better opportunities. However, this is clearly a long-term issue.

Some years ago, a blind woman in Scotland was at a job interview and was struggling to convince this potential employer that she had the skills and expertise to do the job. When queried about her disability she told the interviewer that she preferred to be judged on her abilities. The important point is that people with learning difficulties have plenty of other qualities, which can more than compensate. This can be illustrated by considering those with autism or Asperser syndrome, who will typically offer some excellent strength in terms of reliability, strong powers of concentration, excellent memory, accuracy and attention to detail. Organisations who work with those who have a learning disability are adept at recognising and developing their undoubted talents and abilities. If employers took note of this information, perhaps more doors would be opened.

Those who interview such people need to understand the considerable benefits of offering them employment, rather than purely focusing on the negative aspects. In essence, employers are in danger of rejecting people who would actually perform better in the job in question than someone without autism or any other condition. Another benefit of having someone with a learning disability in a company is that it can ensure that there is a more diverse group of employees who can add value and enrich the organisation as a whole, each in their own particular way.

UK law specifies that people with any learning disability should be treated fairly in respect of employment. However, the fact is that only about 11% of these people have paid employment in the UK, despite government services such as the provision of Disability Employment Advisers, workshops and placements designed to lead to suitable jobs. Clearly, there is much more that could be done and should be done in North Wales and the rest of the country.


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