Impact on persons with disabilities and their families when they are contributors to society through volunteerism and employment

Abstract

Background: Despite various government initiatives, people with disabilities all over the world face some degree of hindrance when they try to contribute to society.

Aim: This project sought to give voice to and understand the perceptions and experiences of persons with disabilities in Singapore when contributing to society through volunteerism and employment and to explore solutions to help access and retain employment and volunteering.

Method and procedure: This small qualitative study recruited three convenience samples of people with disabilities aged 18-49 years old who met criteria for daily activity over the previous 12 months. Participant recruitment was limited due to the Covid pandemic lockdown. Ten individuals had maintained open employment, six had worked as a volunteer and four were neither working nor volunteering. All 20 participants were briefed online on the use of the photovoice technique. Interviews were then conducted online, beginning with a 5-min demographic survey. Approximately hour long semi-structured interviews followed. Eleven participants used photovoice but nine who were working or volunteering did not as they were unable to take photos in their workplace. Several individuals were supported during the interview by a caregiver or staff member for example a job coach.

Findings: Themes were identified within the four central areas of enquiry: (i) self-perceptions of being a beneficiary or contributor to society; (ii) the benefits to working and volunteering; (iii) enablers and barriers to working and volunteering and (iv) solutions to access and retain employment and volunteering. Several barriers to use of photovoice were encountered. The importance of inclusive and conducive environments was recognised along with the roles of all stakeholders across the ecosystem.

Conclusion: Employment and volunteering can significantly impact quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families and benefit the society. Collaboration among all stakeholders is required to better address solutions and improve desired employment and volunteer outcomes.

Keywords: contributing to society; employment; persons with disabilities; volunteerism.