If you have a disability, should you tick the disability box when applying for a job?

What are the chances you’ll be knocked out of contention by a recruiter, even these days, after the Government spent $22B on the NDIS?

Alas, many recruiters can hardly dress themselves, so going along with one of the greatest policy initiatives since WW2, isn’t their strong point.

I’m against the idea of ‘jobs for the disabled’.

If a person needs a special desk or chair or ramp to do the job, and they’re as good or better than the other candidates, what’s the problem? Interview them. If they have a slight mental impairment but can do the job, interview them.

It’s my melancholy duty to inform you that some recruiters will see a person with a disability as a liability. They’d pass on Einstein because he had curly hair – know what I mean?

The fact is Australians with a disability are more likely to be unemployed.

In 2018 (the latest figures), there were 4.4 million Australians with a disability. That’s about 17 per cent of the population.

Of these, 2.1 million people were of working age (15-64 years).

For these people, the unemployment rate was 10.3 per cent, more than twice the rate for people without a disability (back then).

In 2018, the unemployment rate for people in Australia with autism was 34.1 per cent, almost six times the general unemployment rate.

I know corporates get all touch-feely about helping people with disabilities. Some are very good. But some are all PR.

In fact, when PR and Recruiters get together, you know you’re in a room with some of the dumbest people you’ll ever meet.

Should you tick the disability box? No. Should Muslims tick the Muslim box? No. People with blonde hair? No.

Tick the human being box – that’s someone who is highly motivated, has skills and competencies and lots of self-respect.