Hiring special needs?
By 911Ricki
@911Ricki (13588)
Canada
April 22, 2013 4:37pm CST
I went to high school with a guy, who was in a wheelchair and a f ew handicap. He wont be able to support himself but he does live in a group home, and holds a job (not something to pay the bills).
By looking and talking to him you can tell there is a few things, but overall a nice guy. He works as a lifeguard at a local pool, although he isn't the main lifeguard, or really responsible for anything, they still give him things to do, and interact with them.
He had added me on Facbeook, and back in high school was in a few of my classes. This other girl I went to school with said why is he working, there are other people who need jobs, or are more functioning. Now this center hires so many disability, or handicap also I know a few grocery stores who do this.
My cousin was hired back in high school at the local Timmies. Now he isn't that badly handicaped, it;s just he acts much younger than he is,and can;t understand simple instructions. The job fired him, because of this, and never gave him a shot, so he goes job to job.
3 people like this
7 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
22 Apr 13
unfortunately if he cannot understand simple instructions he will be fired from any job, you have to be able to understand instructions in any job.
@911Ricki (13588)
• Canada
22 Apr 13
You had to say do this, not do this then this then this. One manager use to write things down for him. Sadly, tim hortons is the worst place to work. It all comes back to management, I know a few very handicap people who work at jobs whether it be stocking shelves, or helping with a cashier doing a great job at it. I guess it all comes back to the judgement part, and by what you wrote here your just as bad as them for firing a few handicap individuals who need more help with instructions or directions.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
23 Apr 13
I am not as bad as them I am a therapist Ricki and I have to deal with hard reality and so do you. As much as I would like every handicap person to have a job, not everyone can work at certain jobs. Especially with jobs that require speed. If you have to be told every minute of the day what to do frankly in the real world people will fire you. I am not firing a handicapped person, the establishment is.
There are levels of handicap and if following instruction is not a problem handicapped people get jobs and they do them well.
However, if a manager has to tell a person every two minutes what to do that means the person cannot do that job. The manager is wasting his or her time or the person training the handicapped erson is and the company is losing money.
When that happens the person is fired. You are not handicapped and if you had to be told every minute what to do you would be fired too. This is not about a handicapped person or a so called normal person this is about having the ability to do a job.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
24 Apr 13
My middle grandson is special needs. He was a premi when he was born and had a brain bleed. As a result he will always be a dependent child in an adult'd body. He is not employable. He would have to be told over and over again. He went to school to learn how to live on his own and he was not able to do it. He would be fired from any job he tried. About all he says is yeah and no. He can't carry on a conversation.
Winterose is not being judgmental. She is speaking real to you Ricki.
@Angelpink (4034)
• Philippines
23 Apr 13
Sometimes people with disabilities work better and religiously than those who are who have no disabilities. They are more output oriented and have initiatives. He maybe have disabilities in physical but his mental state don't have that is why he is that productive. People with disabilities are inspiring and hardworking.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 13
I think it is fine for an employee to hire a special needs person if that employer is understanding, patient and believes in equal opportunity. The person must have the right skills for the job at hand.
It is great that disabled man works at your local sports center. I think the girl wasn't being very understanding saying a normal person could do that. She was awful for saying there better functioning people that need a job.
It is a shame your cousin doesn't do well with following instructions. It must be miserable to get fired from a job. My son is physically disabled and hopefully his place of employment will be wheelchair accessible. I hope an employer will employ him when he is grown up.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
23 Apr 13
Your friend's behavior is just mean and really closed minded. Where I work there is a special needs adult who is a bit slow but overall is very smart. I've not worked with him in sometime but he is very nice and he does his best.
The jobs that are given to those with special needs, are as you've described, not something that is really taking away from the rest of us. The guy I work with bags groceries. We don't really have baggers, he is our only one.
I guess he still works with us, like I said haven't seen him in a long time (don't ever work when he does or doesn't).
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
23 Apr 13
In the past the sheltered workshops were the only option for people with special needs in my country, but that has changed today. There are still many sheltered workhops, but many companies also hire people with special needs. There are many success stories about the people with special needs who work in "ordinary" jobs, but there are also people who won't be able to find a job outside the sheltered workshops. The people with special have different thoughts about this topic. Some of them are happy to work in the sheltered workshops and want to stay there and some of them dream about a job outside the the sheltered workshops.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
24 Apr 13
Handicapped people do often work and do great jobs, but if they cannot follow directions, do you think they won't get fired? Employers hire for jobs that need filling. They don't just babysit handicapped people and then pay them for it.
@911Ricki (13588)
• Canada
1 May 13
So that's where my taxes go to, so they can sit at home and do nothing. Companies get more money if they hire those handicapped whether they do the job or not. I'd rathre see them out working, and trying then sitting at home being nothing. My friends son is handcapped, little slow he is the hardest worker I know, and he gets people like you who say he can't follow directions they should fire him, simple write it down and he does an amasing job.
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
22 Apr 13
A community benefits when the disabled are given jobs. They become tax payers, just like you and I and they help contribute to society. Sometimes they take jobs that others will not take and do a great job and work very conscientiously. Yes, they need support to learn the routine of a job, but people should not hav such a bad attitude. The disabled, children, and the elderly all have the same rights that you or I do.
