In Northern Ireland, those with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to those without a disability. The ‘depression, anxiety, severe or specific learning problems or nervous disorders’ disability category reports the highest levels of unemployment. It is pertinent to disentangle this category due to the range of supportive interventions this category could encompass. The aim of this project is to identify barriers to and opportunities for employment for those with learning disabilities living in Northern Ireland. This project has been commissioned by the Department for the Economy as part of the 10X Economy programme.
Stage One of this project was dedicated to co-producing and gaining preliminary data from focus group/interview schedules for service users (e.g. adults with learning disabilities in sheltered employment) and service providers (e.g. those operating sheltered employment schemes). Feedback was sought, obtained and implemented from a range of stakeholders and participants to inform Stage Two data collection. Preliminary data collection in Stage One was comprised of eight service users and three service providers. The second round of data collection analysed multiple interviews and focus groups, which comprised fourteen service users and five service providers.
A range of barriers and opportunities were identified for service users. Employment provided social benefits for service users and allowed them to develop new skills, which they subsequently enjoyed using to support and help others. However, service users struggled to access crucial guidance such as knowledge of regional services, financial information and more. Service users could also have negative workplace experiences such as a lack of support, completing menial tasks, and poor experiences with the general public. Service users also feared that transitioning to external employment would lead to the loss of friendships as community groups for those with learning disabilities typically run during working hours.
Service providers could effectively support users by providing a range of training, accessible tools and training, and providing clear instructions in the workplace. However, service providers experienced their own barriers to offering this support such as time- limited and conditional funding. Service providers reported that it has become more difficult in recent economic times to build relationships with external employers due to their own challenges and workloads.
Future recommendations were made from the data collection in supporting adults with learning disabilities to enter the workforce. These include: improvements in knowledge exchange; improved provider-employer relationships; incentivised buddy systems in the workplace; centralised funding support for service providers; and improved social opportunities for those with learning disabilities.
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