Social inclusion of persons with disability in employment: what would it take to socially support employed persons with disability in the labor market?
Ivy Chumo, Caroline Kabaria, Blessing Mberu
PMID 37456796WHAT IT FOUND
Employers in Nairobi informal settlements described supporting workers with disabilities by listening to their concerns, identifying strengths, and gradually withdrawing help as confidence grew.
They also noted that rigid, one-size-fits-all support and workplace conflicts often caused these efforts to fail.
Key findings
01Support teams helped workers with disabilities by listening to their specific concerns and gradually withdrawing assistance as the worker became more autonomous and confident.
02Employers identified strengths and obstacles for workers with disabilities, such as recognizing social skills to assign leadership roles, which boosted the worker's self-esteem.
03A major challenge was the use of inadequate or misdirected resources, where support groups applied a one-size-fits-all approach instead of identifying what was meaningful to the individual.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study only captured the perspectives of employers and officials, not the workers with disabilities themselves. The findings are specific to informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, and may not generalize to formal workplaces or other countries. As a qualitative study, it identifies themes and experiences but does not measure the effectiveness of these support strategies on employment outcomes. The sample size was small (40 participants) and focused on five specific service sectors.
Declared interests
The study was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the ARISE Hub.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these support strategies are proven to improve employment outcomes. This is a qualitative study of employer perspectives, not a trial testing whether these methods work. The findings describe what employers did and thought, not the effect on the workers' well-being or job retention.