Lorna Carter, a 55-year-old Gloucester resident with an extensive background in advocacy and support work, has spoken out about the prejudice faced by people with disabilities when seeking employment. Despite her award-winning record and experience, Ms Carter has encountered significant challenges securing a new role as her current contract nears its end due to redundancy.
Ms Carter has praised her current employer for providing reasonable adjustments, describing their support as going “above and beyond.” However, she reveals that a recent interview with a prospective employer was a “humiliating” experience, lacking necessary accommodations and marked by insensitive remarks. She recounts being criticised for using crutches, with an interviewer questioning how she would manage visiting clients' homes without an office chair.
Currently pursuing resolution through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, Ms Carter has not disclosed the prospective employer’s name. She emphasises the need for employers to improve their compliance with reasonable adjustment laws, highlighting that inadequate support may contribute to the UK’s substantial welfare and social security spending, forecast at approximately £353 billion for the current financial year.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson Responds to PETA Protest Outside The Farmer’s Dog Pub
READ MORE: Tom Kerridge reveals £1.5 million loss on events business but embraces new opportunities
Having applied for 18 jobs without success, Ms Carter states, “It’s a job to get a job.” She worries that many disabled individuals lack the voice to defend themselves in similar situations and fears ongoing welfare cuts, such as reductions to personal independence payments, will further harm those affected.
Determined to advocate for change, Ms Carter has expressed her desire to meet with the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to discuss the barriers faced by disabled job seekers. She says, “Employers are making assumptions and judgements before you’ve even walked in the room, failing to provide reasonable adjustments from the start. The issue lies with employment law, which is letting people down. Someone must stand up.”
She concludes by underlining the difficulties of living with disabilities compounded by the struggle to obtain meaningful employment, stating, “It’s hard enough being disabled and coping with health conditions, only to be put through this when trying to find a job.”