Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2010): Services for the disabled - UK

Adults with cystic fibrosis and barriers to employment

J. Edwards and K. Boxall

Disability and Society, vol. 25, 2010, p. 441-453

Improvements in treatment mean that people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are now living well into adulthood and the majority of adults with CF seek actively to enter the labour market. This paper explores the employment experiences of adults with CF from a social model perspective, revealing a range of barriers to employment for this group. These barriers are similar to those experienced by disabled people more generally. Like other disabled people, adults with CF are commonly perceived as 'sick' both in and beyond the workplace. However, the impairment effects of CF can be accommodated in the workplace by reasonable adjustments such as flexible working hours, time off for hospital appointments, and a room for employees to use for treatments.

Young, disabled and opinionated

J. Lepper

Children and Young People Now, July 20th-26th 2010, p. 18-19

This article explores the role of youth panels at both the local and the national level in enabling young disabled people to have a greater say on issues that affect them.