From the dawn of human history until today, a person's occupation has directly influenced their social standing, their integration in society, how others see them and how they regard themselves. Even more so, is the importance to a disabled person of being employed in a company that treats them with due respect, without any discrimination, and grants them equal opportunities. Although the legislator has ruled in the law of equal opportunities "Every person is entitled to work, the free choice of their work, just and fair terms of employment, and protection against unemployment", in practice the reality is very different - as my own bitter experience shows. I am 37, with poor eyesight since birth. I worked for years in different posts both salaried and self-employed. During the last three years, while finishing a degree in management at the Open University, I have been unable to find any reasonable work, despite countless attempts and novel ideas for looking for work. It's important to mention that, in fact, the key to success for a person with a disability is to regard themselves as a "healthy" person.
In other words, the more a physically impaired person can perceive himself (or herself) as "whole", the less they are likely to funcation as disabled.
This principle is a basic assumption in both COACHING and NLP.
COACHING focuses on acquiring and using ability to lever the full range of ablities and resources, that the client already has ,to a level of achievement that will produce optimal results and success for the individual or the organization.
A basic assumption in COACHING is to regard the client as "whole", an expert in his life and his work, resourceful and creative.
Likewise, NLP presupposes that "We have all the internal resources, we need."
The question is : through which filters do we view events?
NLP is an approach and methodology which connects us to our inner resources so we can change habits, ways of thinking and behaviour that are no longer any use to us. NLP techniques can enable us to neutralize unpleasant memories and enrich memories that are useful. Let's take the resources we already have and channel them to places where they are lacking.
I also used my university studies to investigate the connection between the freedom of employment of disabled people and the economic feasibility of employing them. I was surprised to discover that while in the US 57% of disabled people of employable age are employed, in Israel the reality is gloomy - only 15.6%. That's to say that in the US, where economic feasibility is a by-word, it pays to employ disabled people. In fact, American research shatters the main myths about employing the disabled, finding that:
1. Disabled workers are not absent from work more than other workers.
2. 90% of disabled workers produced at least the required output, compared to 95% of other workers.
3. Disabled workers don't tend to be involved in accidents more than other workers.
4. Disabled workers don't tend to get sick more than other workers.
In the US, many leading companies attribute a great deal of their success to their employment of a diverse workforce including the disabled. For example, American airline companies saved 20% of recruitment costs by utilizing nonprofit partners to recruit the disabled.
The main reasons for employing disabled people are:
1. They have the ability to solve problems because they are experts in finding creative ways to perform tasks that others take for granted, through coping with daily limitations.
A person who is aware of their resources and creativity (perhaps through underging a process of personal coaching or NLP), can channel their resources (abilities) in the right direction to make themselves highly productive and useful in society.
2. Disabled people have proved themselves to be reliable, devoted, diligent and productive.
3. Many companies report that employing disabled people increases the motivation and efficiency of all the other workers in the company.
4. It's cheaper to employ a worker who returns to work after rehabilitation from an accident than recruit and train a new worker.
5. Disabled workers can help with effective marketing to the profitable market segment of disabled consumers.
In Israel, The National Insurance participates significantly in the special adjustment costs of the work station (up to 19,000 shekels). The problem is lack of awareness among the employers and the managers responsible for hiring workers. Here, Business Coaching should be used to plan the successful hiring of workers with impairments, in order to lever their human resources in favour of the organization, improving the organization's image as an employer of impaired workers and raising productivity. In practice, it turns out that most of the adjustments needed are in mental attitude (for example flexibility in working days) and 47% have no need at all for special adjustments. The National Insurance also helps to train workers (for example, in financing my first degree at the university). In addition, they run a joint project with Akim to integrate the mentally retarded at the workplace. Shlomi, the owner of Pizza Pazza in Ibn Gvirol street in Tel Aviv, who employs retarded workers, says that from his experience "It took me about two years to train the workers and find them a suitable niche, but I'm pleased and they too are pleased. They are good and loyal workers. The customers, who are aware that the waiters sometimes make a mistake in serving the dish, are understanding and explain the error to the waiters."
We must also ensure fair terms of employment for disabled people. "Equal pay for equal work" says the equal opportunities law, but sometimes small employers try to profit through exploiting the disabled who are looking for work, and I personally experienced this.
Sometimes it's not worthwhile at all for the disabled to work because of what I call "The trap of fear and the loss of the safety net". Many disabled people are afraid that if they start working, their employer will fire them, and in the meantime they will lose their disability allowance - 'the safety net'. As a result they doom themselves to a life of poverty and don't work, fearful of the difficulty of competing to get a job, and passing the entrance exams. Every time I approach an assessment center, I hesitate, whether to expose my problem and ask for the concessions that I am entitled to and risk torpedoing myself at the very beginning, or to keep silent and try and get through the difficult exams with the hope of succeeding.
The National Insurance organization should run a campaign to increase employer's awareness of why it is worthwhile to employ disabled workers. In addition, the wage ceiling (for not losing the disability allowance) should be raised and the time limit for receiving the disability allowance extended to six months, until the worker is settled in the job.
We, the readers can also help to change the mistaken mentality at our own places of work, and by trying to help acquaintances with disabilities to be accepted for work, that they are qualified for despite their disability.
Employers and senior managers should remember, "You are hiring a whole" person, an expert in his life, and his work, resourceful and creative- not his disability".
Eyal Shapira
In other words, the more a physically impaired person can perceive himself (or herself) as "whole", the less they are likely to funcation as disabled.
This principle is a basic assumption in both COACHING and NLP.
COACHING focuses on acquiring and using ability to lever the full range of ablities and resources, that the client already has ,to a level of achievement that will produce optimal results and success for the individual or the organization.
A basic assumption in COACHING is to regard the client as "whole", an expert in his life and his work, resourceful and creative.
Likewise, NLP presupposes that "We have all the internal resources, we need."
The question is : through which filters do we view events?
NLP is an approach and methodology which connects us to our inner resources so we can change habits, ways of thinking and behaviour that are no longer any use to us. NLP techniques can enable us to neutralize unpleasant memories and enrich memories that are useful. Let's take the resources we already have and channel them to places where they are lacking.
I also used my university studies to investigate the connection between the freedom of employment of disabled people and the economic feasibility of employing them. I was surprised to discover that while in the US 57% of disabled people of employable age are employed, in Israel the reality is gloomy - only 15.6%. That's to say that in the US, where economic feasibility is a by-word, it pays to employ disabled people. In fact, American research shatters the main myths about employing the disabled, finding that:
1. Disabled workers are not absent from work more than other workers.
2. 90% of disabled workers produced at least the required output, compared to 95% of other workers.
3. Disabled workers don't tend to be involved in accidents more than other workers.
4. Disabled workers don't tend to get sick more than other workers.
In the US, many leading companies attribute a great deal of their success to their employment of a diverse workforce including the disabled. For example, American airline companies saved 20% of recruitment costs by utilizing nonprofit partners to recruit the disabled.
The main reasons for employing disabled people are:
1. They have the ability to solve problems because they are experts in finding creative ways to perform tasks that others take for granted, through coping with daily limitations.
A person who is aware of their resources and creativity (perhaps through underging a process of personal coaching or NLP), can channel their resources (abilities) in the right direction to make themselves highly productive and useful in society.
2. Disabled people have proved themselves to be reliable, devoted, diligent and productive.
3. Many companies report that employing disabled people increases the motivation and efficiency of all the other workers in the company.
4. It's cheaper to employ a worker who returns to work after rehabilitation from an accident than recruit and train a new worker.
5. Disabled workers can help with effective marketing to the profitable market segment of disabled consumers.
In Israel, The National Insurance participates significantly in the special adjustment costs of the work station (up to 19,000 shekels). The problem is lack of awareness among the employers and the managers responsible for hiring workers. Here, Business Coaching should be used to plan the successful hiring of workers with impairments, in order to lever their human resources in favour of the organization, improving the organization's image as an employer of impaired workers and raising productivity. In practice, it turns out that most of the adjustments needed are in mental attitude (for example flexibility in working days) and 47% have no need at all for special adjustments. The National Insurance also helps to train workers (for example, in financing my first degree at the university). In addition, they run a joint project with Akim to integrate the mentally retarded at the workplace. Shlomi, the owner of Pizza Pazza in Ibn Gvirol street in Tel Aviv, who employs retarded workers, says that from his experience "It took me about two years to train the workers and find them a suitable niche, but I'm pleased and they too are pleased. They are good and loyal workers. The customers, who are aware that the waiters sometimes make a mistake in serving the dish, are understanding and explain the error to the waiters."
We must also ensure fair terms of employment for disabled people. "Equal pay for equal work" says the equal opportunities law, but sometimes small employers try to profit through exploiting the disabled who are looking for work, and I personally experienced this.
Sometimes it's not worthwhile at all for the disabled to work because of what I call "The trap of fear and the loss of the safety net". Many disabled people are afraid that if they start working, their employer will fire them, and in the meantime they will lose their disability allowance - 'the safety net'. As a result they doom themselves to a life of poverty and don't work, fearful of the difficulty of competing to get a job, and passing the entrance exams. Every time I approach an assessment center, I hesitate, whether to expose my problem and ask for the concessions that I am entitled to and risk torpedoing myself at the very beginning, or to keep silent and try and get through the difficult exams with the hope of succeeding.
The National Insurance organization should run a campaign to increase employer's awareness of why it is worthwhile to employ disabled workers. In addition, the wage ceiling (for not losing the disability allowance) should be raised and the time limit for receiving the disability allowance extended to six months, until the worker is settled in the job.
We, the readers can also help to change the mistaken mentality at our own places of work, and by trying to help acquaintances with disabilities to be accepted for work, that they are qualified for despite their disability.
Employers and senior managers should remember, "You are hiring a whole" person, an expert in his life, and his work, resourceful and creative- not his disability".
Eyal Shapira
