The inequality of living and working with a disability in the UK
Inequality is set to increase further unless we change the narrative on those who can work versus those who are incapable of working.
It is really unacceptable how workers are treated and taken for granted in Britain, with the common narrative being that people should be grateful if they have a job, and should feel ashamed if they cannot work. This narrative turns those who are chronically ill or disabled into individuals who are perceived as being a burden on society and consequently turns them into social pariahs as well.
I didn’t want or choose to have a degenerative back condition, nor did I wish to be limited in my choice of career, due to my worsening mobility. I have two hereditary conditions called kyphosis, which affects my upper spine, and scoliosis, a curvature of my lower spine. These hereditary conditions are not something caused in any way by my lifestyle choices or diet. My GP has suggested on many occasions that my lifestyle has led to my Kyphosis, whilst ignoring my medical notes which confirm I was diagnosed with these conditions as a child. There are many myths around food and diet that we the public are fed by professionals who seek to guilt-trip people into thinking they are responsible for most health conditions that they may have. When the reality is that, we the consumers never got a say on all the processed foods that flooded into our shops (some 30/ 40 years ago).
This processed food revolution was forced upon us, by a capitalist system that seeks more efficient and cost-reducing ways to produce food - at the cost of our health and nutrition. Disabled people and those with chronic health conditions, often struggle the most to access healthy food choices. Limited mobility is a real barrier, which means these disadvantaged individuals are restricted to local shops and have a limited selection of food products. Local shops tend to be more expensive which can be difficult for disabled and chronically ill people. Personally, I have found that my own declining physical health and lack of mobility has meant that I am now having to rely on others to shop for me or stick to the higher-priced local options when I have no choice. We have been told to believe that we can choose to eat healthily, yet manufacturers produce mostly unhealthy foods. Access to healthy foods is very much unequal and social mobility affects how people are able to access the foods that they eat. People really cannot help if they cannot afford or do not have access to healthier options.
In the workplace because of capitalism, management and business owners seek more efficient ways of operating their businesses, profit maximisation becoming the main focus but at the expense of the workers. This drive for more and more profits, and never-ending greed, has turned workers into robots in a metaphorical sense. Whilst discrimination should not exist within the workplace, and many laws exist to protect those with disabilities, there are still many barriers to employment that exist. Employers are not obliged to provide any explanation for turning a job candidate down, and therefore this can easily mask any discrimination that exists.
Management have no sense of humility towards their employees, no compassion and zero patience as a whole. There are, of course, a small number of businesses that aren't as bad, but they are the exception and not the rule.
Unfortunately, this neoliberal capitalist economy doesn't care about this sector of society. This laissez-faire attitude, last seen in the Victorian era, is back with us again. Unfortunately, unless we challenge these outdated and downright awful views about individuals in our society, who neither choose nor want to be in this position, we will end up with far more inequality in our nation.
Women and girls across the United Kingdom face abuse and inequality each day.