‘I’m 27, and my disability admin feels like a full-time job’

Employment relations and diversity researcher, Prof Debbie Foster, of Cardiff University, said her own ill-health and difficulties in getting back to work sparked her interest in disability and employment.

“I thought, if I’ve got lots of information at my fingertips, I know how to read things about the law and rights.

“What about other people who don’t have access to that information?”

The academic, who is also co-chair of the Welsh government disability rights task force, has written extensively on negotiating workplace adjustments, as well as the experience of disabled people in Wales during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to think more in terms of an accessible world, and much more in terms of accessible design rather than just making it an individual problem – that’s when you get all the disability admin,” she added.

The professor said, at times, asking for reasonable adjustments in the workplace could feel like asking for “special favours”.

“The embedded ableism that’s in the way that we’ve designed everything, because it’s people who are able-bodied, who have done the designing,” she added.

Miranda Evans from Disability Wales said disability related administration can include navigating welfare benefits applications, searching for equipment to assist independence, researching accessible transport options, and navigating the health and social care system.

The organisation said it was estimated that 26% of Wales’ population were disabled and, with an ageing population, this figure will grow to 58% by 2035.

She added that many disabled people “confront multiple barriers throughout this journey, necessitating relentless perseverance to access the vital resources and support they deserve.”

“This systemic complexity often exacerbates their struggles, highlighting the urgent need for reform and greater accessibility” she added.

A Welsh government spokesperson said it was committed to “creating an inclusive and accessible society”.

“Our disability rights action plan, set for release in Spring 2025, aims to eliminate barriers and enhance participation for all disabled people in Wales.”