Hi, Francisco blogging here. I am 57 years old and I am a professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil. That means that while I have a good job, the salary leaves a lot to be desired.

Here I will mostly tell you about my work experience, with respect to the way attitudinal barriers against disability negatively impacts potential job opportunities.

So back when I was fourteen, my cousin and I went to a toy making factory to apply for a job opportunity that was being offered. We thought it would be a good first-time job opportunity, because no previous work experience, nor specialized qualification were required. When we arrived, there was already an incredibly long line of boys our age who had the same idea. There were no girls our age in the line, although there were several women who were in their twenties. Since it was the 1970s, those young women were already considered “old.” 

The interview was conducted in groups. There were five or six other boys in our group, and we all got the job. Though not quite, for I was going to be told to do something the other boys wouldn't have to.

The interesting thing about this company is that they hire people to work from home.

A truck would bring crates of toys to people´s houses and leave them there for two weeks. Then, they would return and pick them up. At the end of the month the employee would be paid according to the number of toys that he or she had assembled. This was mainly designed to use the work of housewives, who could make extra money while working in their “spare time”. Men did not work from home.They worked at the factory.

After the interview, the other boys and my cousin were told to go to the personnel department to sign some necessary documentation. I, on the other hand, was told that because I was blind, I would have to work from home, as the factory did not hire blind people. I then asked whether I would be signing the same documentation as my cousin. I was told that I did not. They went on to explain that people who worked from home were not actual employees, rather they were only paid for what they produced. They then said that if the person working from home worked really very hard, he or she could make money. Furthermore, an employee working at the factory would make more money because the factory could confirm that the employee was working, whereas by working at home, there was no way to tell for sure. I postulated that they would know by how many toys a person would assemble. The answer was straightforward and direct; if you want the job, that’s the way it’s going to be, end of discussion. It was that simple. I accepted the job, and I assembled many more toys than my cousin. We compared it. He made more money and was an actual employee. I was paid a fraction of what I deserved, and what was worse, there were no fringe benefits or employment registration.

Sadly, doing more work for less pay was something that I would encounter many more times in my life.

The moral of the story is if you have a disability and you want a job, you will very likely face barriers such as discrimination, poor working conditions, unequal salary, and attitudinal barriers.

If you liked this post, feel free to ask me questions. It will be my pleasure answering them. Also, please give a thumbs-up or leave a comment.