East disabled man warns wage gaps are pushing disabled people into poverty
Earlier this week, a report revealed disabled workers suffer an average pay gap of £1.90 an hour compared with other employees
Last updated 16th Nov 2023
A disabled man in the East says he chose to be self-employed because he was so aware of the pay gap disabled people face.
This comes after a report by the Trade Unions Congress which revealed disabled workers suffer an average pay gap of £1.90 an hour compared with other employees.
Stuart Thompson has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a disorder characterized by extreme fragility of the bones.
He told us that disabled people are often "really conscious" of the fact they have to make decisions that their co-workers don't, citing travel arrangements, healthcare and time off they may need as examples.
Not only this but Stuart revealed he's aware of, and has made decisions "about the value that people put on you and... your experiences."
He told us this often means people in the disabled community are applying to and accepting positions that are lower than their "level of ability or experience" because it satisfies one of their needs or because it doesn't create a need.
Stuart shared that in his own experience, subconsciously, promotions and opportunities for promotions come to disabled people less often because "they're not as apparent".
Pushed into poverty
Stuart explains living as a disabled person can throw up a lot more necessary costs, and can be a lot more expensive than people realise.
For example, Stuarts says popping to the shops will likely require taking a car, whilst his wheelchair costs £5000: "I'm not going to be getting that paid for by any local authorities anytime soon."
He told us all of this contributes to making "working less and less appealing for disabled people."
What he wants to see change
As mentioned previously Stuart wants people to be considerate to others and their needs, but he would also like to see more disabled people "in roles where they're successful and where where they're visible.
"I've been disabled for 47 years and I don't see many more disabled people on my TV or in positions of power than I did when I was a child.
"'I'm yet to see a particularly prominent disabled Member of Parliament or particularly prominently disabled business person and that subconsciously, I believe, affects employers because the images they see of disabled people aren't positive enough."
He also wants to encourage those in the disabled community to "set high expectations" for themselves: "Keep shouting, keep complaining. If it's not just for you, it's for the next person that comes along beside you.
"Each time we influence an employer to understand our benefits and not just the cost of employing us, then we're more likely to see more of us in positions where we can make a difference."