How are we doing in terms of raising awareness of disabilities and how can we have an impact on the public? This article puts a finger on the difficulties encountered and on innovating strategies which allow to better understand disabilities.
Disabilities in France: the assessment
The figures on disabilities in France were published by the DREES (management for the research, studies, and evaluation of statistics) and in April 2023. These highlight the persisting discrimination which people suffering from a disability face.
The employment of people suffering from a disability remains difficult. The unemployment rate of disabled people is at 12%. It is twice as high as the unemployment rate of able-bodied.
Only 44% of disabled people who can legally work have managed their occupationnal integration. And yet, companies which employ 20 or more people have to meet a quota of people suffering from a disability. It is fixed and corresponds to 6% of their workforce in compliance with the disability act.
For your information, the DRESS study also shows that 37% of disabled people are only doing 20 different types of job.
Disabilities remain the first motive for discriminations in France and it has been the case for 6 years. In 2022, 20% of the complaints filed to the rights defenders were related to disabilities. Disputes and prejudices are not just present in employment. They remain too frequent in housing, schools, or regarding insurances, etc.
Raising awareness of disabilities: a challenge to promote a more inclusive society
It is clear that people suffering from disabilities still face important obstacles in different aspects of their life. In this context, it is essential to encourage inclusion and equality. It is first and foremost about:
- Making people aware of the capabilities of people suffering from disabilities but also raising awareness of the challenges they face and of what they need;
- Getting rid of the obstacles they face to reduce all types of discrimination;
- Dumping the stereotypes around intellectual deficiencies and other disabilities
- Encouraging the creation of a more inclusive movement which promotes values of respect and integration of everyone.
How to raise awareness of inclusion in this context? You will find here what we think are good solutions to organise activities to raise awareness of disabilities.
How to raise awareness of disabilities in companies?
Disability formation
One of these solutions would be to organise formation sessions. It is a way to:
- Understand the constraints related to disabilities;
- Prevent unfairly balanced behaviours;
- Allow your collaborators to have a more inclusive attitude.
You can also give a disability awareness guide to your employees.
Grasp inclusion by playing
If you prefer a more playful approach, PlayMoovin’ manufactures sport wheelchairs. The FreeMoovin’ allows you to organise awareness activities with adults or children.
Your collaborators can put themselves in the shoes of a person suffering from a disability. They can thus grasp the difficulties people with reduced mobility face daily. Everything is done safely of course and for the span of a wheelchair basketball or a sitting volleyball game.
How to raise awareness of disabilities at school?
You are a teacher and you would like to make the most of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to raise awareness among your students? Proposing reading sessions in sign language is a great idea for example but you know that you learn better if you act. It stimulates the students’ comprehension and engagement.
It is the reason why our plastic wheelchair also exists in a version adapted to children: the KidsMoovin’. This manual wheelchair offers the possibility to children from preschool onwards to comprehend each type of disabilities in a playful way. It is also used in primary schools, secondary high schools, high schools and in activity centres.
With this sport wheelchair, the objective is to change the way young people view motor disabilities and other disabilities.
Promoting a more inclusive society remains a challenge to overcome. With the PlayMoovin’ wheelchairs, you can organise a playful activity to raise awareness of disabilities and change people’s view. If you are interested, you can call us on 06 86 56 99 35!
sources
Handicap.fr- Lehandicap en tête des discriminations depuis 6 ans
