employment
Give and take
23/September/2009 03:20 PM Filed in: Other | Employment
A few days ago I got round to asking Access to Work if they would fund a voice amplifier so that people on my courses could hear me clearly. The only reason I need one is because my lung capacity is not large enough to get enough air through my vocal chords for a decent amount of noise. It was either that or provide everyone with a hearing aid - I thought this would be easier all round!
I thought it might turn into a saga and found a piece of equipment, e-mailed it to Access to Work with the price and basically explained why I needed it and what it would cost. Within 24 hours they said I could go ahead and order it. Brilliant.
Then I thought, would I be able to save Access to Work a bit of money by seeing if I can get the VAT off it?
My quest to get the VAT off
I wrote to the company (Connevans) and got quite an abrupt reply saying no. They said they had labelled their products with happy faces or red sad faces as to whether they were VAT exempt or not and told me to read their web page.
Mine was ‘sad face’ product and felt like they thought I had a learning difficulty or something.
“As per VAT Notice 701/7 published by HM Customs & Excise, certain specialised goods and services needed by disabled people may be zero-rated for VAT – when purchased by a disabled person for domestic or personal use or by charities who provide care and facilities for disabled persons. “
I wrote back saying I had read the paragraph and indeed knew of that some people had had communication equipment and voice amplifiers with the VAT off.
I was the disabled purchaser (one tick in the box)
It was for personal use (second tick)
I chose it because it had design features like buttons that I could use etc. - to me it was specialised.
They manager quoted Revenue and Customs saying the equipment was not ‘specialised’ enough and that their must be a ‘design intent’ in relation to disability. He said I should contact the VAT office. I did and they have so far refused to comment.
Quest thwarted.
So, considering we are in an age where inclusive design should be the norm (i.e. build accessibility and usability into everyday products so all people can use them), the government is saying that disabled people who identify a product that they only need because of their impairment will have to pay full cost because of the ‘inclusiveness’ of that product.
This ensure financial discrimination - for some people the VAT addition may make the item too expensive to purchase and it becomes yet another disability related expense on essential equipment and services.
Ironically Connevans deal in ‘disability’ products and were selling it knowing that it was something particularly that disabled people would use. Individual companies appear to be getting different advice on whether to charge VAT or not to disabled customers. This is inequality.
One arm of the government has given me a grant because they recognise that I need this equipment because of my impairment. On the other hand, they also seem keen to take it back through their own tax system. Now why should that surprise me!
Update 1- since posting (LOL I’m sure they are watching me) the VAT office have confirmed that products designed for general use or for use by disabled and able bodied people alike are not VAT exempt. So all products which have inclusive design and benefit none disabled people also will be charged at full price.
Update 2- Access to work lost my claim form and said I had to resubmit all over again - I decided to not claim the money back and hence bought the item myself.
Work - a negative experience.
Insight: Work fit for all - disability, health and
the experience of negative treatment in the British
workplace.
This is the title of a new publication by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
You can download this EHRC document here.
It explains how Britain (compared to other countries) has large numbers of disabled people with proportionately fewer in employment.
Incapacity Benefit claims have doubled in the past 20 years and the Government wants to reverse this trend.
So why aren’t disabled people getting jobs?
Research shows that disabled people perceive themselves as being subject to negative treatment at work - it is the fear of discrimination.
On a personal level, I can understand that when you are discriminated against time and time again in many parts of your life - why should work be any different?
Is this perception accurate?
Well, those surveyed who had attempted work agreed that negative treatment at work was experience and that for many it had made them ill (and many developed long term illness).
Negative behaviours and attitudes were not just from managers or supervisors - but work colleagues and customers.
What did the figure show:
25.4% of disabled people experienced intimidating behavior compared to 13.4% of those with no impairment.
14.4% received hints and signals that they should quit their job with only 8.7% of those with no impairment.
37.3% experience being shouted at or someone losing their temper with them compared to 25.9% of those with no impairment.
Disabled people felt more threatened, treated in a rude way or insulted, subject to gossip and experienced more physical violence.
In fact, disabled people experienced
More information:
For people with:
• A learning difficulty, psychological or emotional condition, the likelihood of negative experiences at work was increased by 167 per cent
• ‘Other’ conditions, the likelihood was increased by 128 per cent
• ‘Physical’ conditions the likelihood was increased by 3 per cent.
In contrast, other important variables were:
• Sexuality - being gay increased negative behaviour by 55 per cent.
Multiple oppression is an important factor where a mental health survivor who is gay could experience extremely damaging effects of work and may well be healthier if they were unemployed - something the government is now forced to contemplate in its ‘work is good for you, your community and the economy’ approach.
Employers - more needs to be done within businesses to end discrimination.
Employers will be asked, under possible amendments to legislation, to prevent illl-treatment and harassment of disabled people in the work place and promote dignity and respect.
This is the title of a new publication by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
You can download this EHRC document here.
It explains how Britain (compared to other countries) has large numbers of disabled people with proportionately fewer in employment.
Incapacity Benefit claims have doubled in the past 20 years and the Government wants to reverse this trend.
So why aren’t disabled people getting jobs?
Research shows that disabled people perceive themselves as being subject to negative treatment at work - it is the fear of discrimination.
On a personal level, I can understand that when you are discriminated against time and time again in many parts of your life - why should work be any different?
Is this perception accurate?
Well, those surveyed who had attempted work agreed that negative treatment at work was experience and that for many it had made them ill (and many developed long term illness).
Negative behaviours and attitudes were not just from managers or supervisors - but work colleagues and customers.
What did the figure show:
25.4% of disabled people experienced intimidating behavior compared to 13.4% of those with no impairment.
14.4% received hints and signals that they should quit their job with only 8.7% of those with no impairment.
37.3% experience being shouted at or someone losing their temper with them compared to 25.9% of those with no impairment.
Disabled people felt more threatened, treated in a rude way or insulted, subject to gossip and experienced more physical violence.
In fact, disabled people experienced
More information:
For people with:
• A learning difficulty, psychological or emotional condition, the likelihood of negative experiences at work was increased by 167 per cent
• ‘Other’ conditions, the likelihood was increased by 128 per cent
• ‘Physical’ conditions the likelihood was increased by 3 per cent.
In contrast, other important variables were:
• Sexuality - being gay increased negative behaviour by 55 per cent.
Multiple oppression is an important factor where a mental health survivor who is gay could experience extremely damaging effects of work and may well be healthier if they were unemployed - something the government is now forced to contemplate in its ‘work is good for you, your community and the economy’ approach.
Employers - more needs to be done within businesses to end discrimination.
Employers will be asked, under possible amendments to legislation, to prevent illl-treatment and harassment of disabled people in the work place and promote dignity and respect.
Back to work or stay on benefits?
These individuals are quite accepting that even with their level of impairment, they could work - but choose not too.
I have seen four distinct groups emerging over the last year.
1) The “I can’t and never will be able to work” group.
Those that believe that they could never work because they adopt the sick role or believe ‘disabled people don’t get jobs because of discrimination so why bother’. They see work as out of the question and often refuse to engage with anything that might indicate otherwise.
2) The “I could but don’t see the need to” group.
Those who are comfortable with free housing, free support and free social activities paid for by the council. Many have had well paid jobs before they became disabled, are not contributing towards the cost of their support, have maximised their benefits and feel that their ‘income’ provides a desirable quality of life - so why change? Many have high academic qualifications and many sought after skills and experience.
3) The “I will try work if I have the right support” group.
Those that want to work, but find it difficult to get the right amount of support and a job that pays well enough to come of benefits. They accept the responsibility of citizens to seek employment - and see themselves as no different in that sense.
4) Those who truly can’t work at all because they have a very severe level of impairment.
Often individuals who have high disability related and housing costs that go far beyond what benefits will cover. Individuals for whom the benefit system is really supposed to help - and which doesn’t go far enough in it current format.
Equality - we must ensure responsible citizenship.
I have worked with many social workers and care managers who quite readily offer 2 or 3 days at a resource centre or Direct Payments to enjoy leisure activities, without exploring whether that person should be engaging with work (and may thus rule out the need for so much leisure support to make a person’s days ‘fulfilled’).
I am not saying that disabled people don’t deserve funds to enable them to access leisure - far from it.
However, as a disabled person, it grates to know that I might be slogging away for 5 days a week at work, whereas someone else with the same level of impairment can be having 5 great days worth of fun activities.
Where is the equality in that?
Imagine this
12/December/2007 06:41 PM Filed in: Business
What are my chances of getting a contract?
Did you know that 1 in 5 people are disabled - but only half of disabled people (of working age) are in employment?
Many have the right qualifications but are never asked to an interview.
80% of non disabled people (of working age) are in employment earning more than their disabled peers.
It is highly likely, that in the course of my business, people, given the choice, will choose a non-disabled service provider because of prejudices and discrimination in the UK.
This is my reality.
