The Worst Jobs for Disabled People

Being a disabled job seeker can be very challenging. There are many different barriers to employment that disabled people have to face and non-disabled people would never even notice. 

Unfortunately, not all jobs are suitable for disabled people. While we can’t generalise the experience of all disabled people into one simple experience, as the variety of disabilities that exist is vast, we can look at the needs of disabled people in a job as being somewhat universal.

All disabled people need accessibility, protection from discrimination, and equitable support in both recruitment and employment. Due to the variety of barriers and difficulties that the diverse community of disabled people in the U.K. face, these three factors are critical in ensuring a disabled person is both safe and happy in their place of work. 

So, with that in mind, we have created this blog to talk about the worst jobs for disabled people that do not embrace these factors, so that disabled job seekers may know more easily what to avoid. We will also talk about the other side of the coin, how disabled people can find the best jobs for them in their own industries and areas. 

Let’s jump into it.

What are the Worst Jobs for Disabled People?

The worst jobs for disabled people aren’t certain jobs exactly. It isn’t a case that a couple of jobs advertised in certain areas are the worst possible options for disabled people. 

The worst jobs for disabled people are those that match certain criteria. Or, to put it another way, don’t match certain criteria.

By our reckoning, the worst jobs for someone with a disability are those that:

• Do not consider disabled people and accessibility in their recruitment processes. They don’t provide accessible formats for application forms and they don’t work on providing a bias-free decision-making panel for interviews. They also don’t consider Work Trials or inclusive interview formats. Doing so means that disabled people are often kept out of jobs that they want before they can even really try. If a disabled person can manage to get through such an application process, it is unlikely that they will go on to experience accessibility in work after they haven’t received it during recruitment.

• Have an employer who isn’t signed up for the Disability Confident Scheme. Becoming Disability Confident is a great way for employers to learn how to work appropriately with disabled members of staff. It is also an effective way for employers to demonstrate to the public that they are committed to disability-friendly recruitment and employment. If you don’t see any kind of Disability Confident badge on an employer’s job post, it is likely that this is not a good job for disabled people.

• Haven’t made any physically accessible changes or updates to their work premises. If a workplace does not have disabled parking, a lift, accessible toilets and other such critical amenities, this is not a good job for disabled people. If an employer does not consider the physical needs of disabled people in their workplace before anyone requests such changes, it demonstrates that they do not have a disability-friendly perspective towards employment. 

• Does not currently have any disabled or diverse members of staff. It tends not to be a coincidence if a workplace has low equality, diversity and inclusion figures. This means that either disabled people have left working in these posts due to discomfort or discrimination or that the employer does not make an effort to recruit in an accessible way. It could also be both factors. It is always a good sign if you see other disabled people already working in a place of employment and/or leaving good reviews of their time working there. 

• Does not run Disability-Awareness training for other members of staff. If you are a disabled person entering a workplace where no one has DA training and knowledge, it is a far less comfortable experience. Knowing that other employees have awareness around topics such as accessible language and appropriate behaviour towards disabled people is a big reassurance and a guarantee of a better working experience. This is something very worthwhile to enquire about in any interviews for a potential job.

What are the Best Jobs for Disabled People?

Ultimately, the worst jobs for disabled people are those with employers who do not consider the needs of people with disabilities and do not provide the support they need to thrive at work. 

Conversely, the best jobs for disabled people are those with employers who are Disability Confident and provide disability-friendly opportunities and environments. The best jobs for disabled people are those with employers that:

• Recruit accessibly
• Offer reasonable adjustments as early as interviews
• Make their working environments physically accessible 
• Run Disability-Awareness training for all members of staff 
• Have a strong stance on discrimination and make this clear at all times 
• Limit and tackle unconscious bias in themselves and their staff 
• Create an open and accepting environment where members of staff feel able to disclose their disabilities and have important conversations around disability-related issues at work

The best job for a disabled person is often not about what the job entails at all. It is more about the employer and how they treat disabled members of staff. 

The worst jobs for disabled people are those with the worst employers. The best are those with the best, most accessible employers. 

So, your next question probably centres around…

Where to Find Them 

If you are a disabled job seeker looking for the best job, we can help you right here at Careers with Disabilities.

We have two main resources for this, our directory of company profiles and our disability-friendly job board. 

Our directory of profiles can help you research who will be the best employer for you and your needs. You can check out a company’s involvement with the Disability Confident scheme and you can read reviews from other people to find out how it really is to work for them. This will help you make the most informed decision possible about who you want to work for.

Our disability-friendly job board can then help you find current opportunities with such employers. You can peruse the posts currently live from many employers across the country and find the one best suited to you.

Additionally, you can check out all of our support and guidance for disabled job seekers and learn about everything from your rights at work to tips for job interviews and applications. 

We have everything you need to find an accessible job right here, so let’s get started on your search today.