3 Having a job
Being in work can be a positive experience for people with learning disabilities, but it can also present some challenges.
Activity 2 Experiences of work
Watch this short video of some of the actors from Access all Areas, a theatre company for people with learning disabilities, talking about their experiences of work over the years. Then answer the questions below.
- Cian’s experience at the charity shop was:
- Dayo describes his acting work with Access all Areas as:
- Terry’s job at the college meant he could:
Video 3 showed that people with learning disabilities have varied experiences of the workplace and finding a job.
- Unfortunately even if a person with learning disabilities secures paid employment, it is not always easy for them to keep their job. Make a note of the things that might make it difficult for a person with learning disabilities to keep their job.
Answer
Research (Coleman et al., 2013; Roulstone et al., 2014; Mencap 2018) shows that some people with learning disabilities face harassment or bullying when in the workplace. Some people are reluctant to disclose their learning disability to colleagues at work, for fear of being stigmatised. This can result in people not getting the workplace adjustments that they are entitled to under UK Equality legislation which makes it more difficult for them to keep their job.
OpenLearn - Exploring learning disabilities: supporting belonging 
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