The challenges encountered by people with physical disabilities at work

dc.contributor.authorSenekane, Relopolotsoe
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-02T10:11:07Z
dc.date.available2024-10-02T10:11:07Z
dc.date.issued2024-05
dc.description.abstractPeople with disabilities (PWDs) are a leading minority group globally, that anyone can become its member at any given time (Aroonsrimorakot, Laiphrakpan, Nilthongkum et al., 2020). In addition to accidents, population ageing and chronic health conditions such as diabetes contribute to the increasing prevalence of disability (Alswang, Bandawe, Bastian et al., 2022). To its members, disability is an obstacle to success. Gaining employment is an uphill struggle for PWDs, because they face recruitment discrimination. When they have been successfully enrolled in employment, they are confronted with human rights issues that exposes them to innumerable challenges such as stigma, discrimination and all sorts of inequalities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges that PWDs encountered in the workplace in Maseru. The study employed a qualitative research approach to investigate the challenges and to achieve the objectives. The objectives of the study were to find out the employer’s contribution to ‘reasonably accommodate’ workers with disabilities, to explore the workplace relationships between PWDs and other employees and to investigate the stigma experiences of PWDs in the workplace. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from twelve people with disabilities, who were and have been employed in Maseru. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used in the collection of data. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study indicated that stigma and discrimination were the most pervasive and persistent barriers. The study confirmed that some participants with disabilities were discriminated and stigmatised when they came for interviews and others when they first reported for work. The participants were not ‘reasonably accommodated’ in terms of transport provision, housing, support and the built environment. Furthermore, the participants had strained relationships with both colleagues and managers, they were discriminated during promotions and were excluded in extra-mural activities. The findings suggest a need for interventions by the employers to ‘reasonably accommodate’ workers with disabilities and to reduce stigma especially enacted stigma that seems to prevail in the workplace, in Maseru.en
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Manpower Development Secretariaten
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14155/2115
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherNational University of Lesothoen
dc.subjectWork, People with disabilities (PWD)en
dc.titleThe challenges encountered by people with physical disabilities at worken
dc.title.alternativeThe case of Maseru, Lesothoen
dc.typeMaster's Thesisen
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