This guide is designed to help businesses and business leaders to build their Disability Confidence by learning directly from and with people with disabilities.
In this blog, Rasak Adekoya (Programme Officer Inclusion Works, Sightsavers Nigeria) shares his career story, tells us about his role helping employers appreciate candidates and employees with disabilities, and what it’s like leading a film shoot as a blind person.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the UK government or members of the Inclusion Works consortium
The intention of this article is twofold; first to encourage a shift in seeing ‘the disabled’not as people with disabilities but rather as people with unique abilities. Secondly, toexplore ways of facilitating gainful employment for these uniquely abled people. The termdisability is examined against a backdrop of definitions including the definition postulatedby the International Classification of Functioning. In this article, the life experiences of apurposive sample of people with (dis)abilities who have been successful in the world ofwork are explored. A narrative approach gives voice to their experiences. Quotes from theparticipants’ responses are used to illustrate the common themes that emerged relating totheir experiences. These themes are resonated against a backdrop of relevant literature. Ifdisabled people are enabled to recognize and use their unique abilities, as well as developvarious self-determination skills, imagine the endless possibilities which could arise for themand society in general.