According to recent data published by Creative Access in the U.K. – less than one-third of individuals working in the creative industries and identifying as disabled feel optimistic about their opportunities for career progression.
That’s in contrast to 69% of non-disabled survey respondents.
Additional findings showed that a mere 25% felt they had access to important contacts and networks while just a third believed they possessed the confidence to meaningfully progress their career having endured negative experiences at work.
Many such experiences revolve around employers failing to make appropriate workplace accommodations to allow them to operate at an optimum level and a general lack of awareness of disability issues amongst non-disabled co-workers.
Zooming out to view the broader picture, in the United States the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this year that the unemployment rate of people with disabilities, at 10.1% is almost double that of non-disabled people.
At the same time, people with disabilities in the U.S. make 26% less on average than their able-bodied peers.
Much has previously been written, entirely justifiably, about the need for employers to scratch below the surface and develop a keener understanding of the intrinsic value that lies in having a diverse workforce.
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