3.1. Outline the types of difficulties faced by disabled people including: • social and financial issues • negative attitudes • physical barriers • institutional barriers

This guide will help you answer 3.1. Outline the types of difficulties faced by disabled people including: • social and financial issues • negative attitudes • physical barriers • institutional barriers.

Disabled people face a variety of challenges in their daily lives. These challenges can affect their independence, opportunities, and quality of life. Understanding these difficulties can help support workers provide better care and assistance. Below, we will examine the types of challenges faced by disabled people, focusing on social and financial issues, negative attitudes, physical barriers, and institutional barriers.

Social and Financial Issues

Disabled people often face both social and financial difficulties. These challenges can limit their ability to engage fully in their community or secure stable financial footing.

Social Issues

Social isolation is a significant issue many disabled people encounter. They may struggle to participate in community activities or events due to a lack of accessibility or lack of understanding from society. This isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness and exclusion.

Friendships and relationships can also be affected. Some people may have misconceptions or even fears about disabilities, which can create barriers to forming connections. This challenge is more pronounced in settings where disability awareness or inclusion is lacking.

Communication challenges can arise for people with certain disabilities, especially if they have hearing, speech, or intellectual disabilities. This can lead to difficulties in expressing themselves or understanding others, making it harder to build relationships.

Financial Issues

Disabled people are more likely to face financial difficulties than non-disabled people. Several factors contribute to this:

• Finding and keeping employment can be more challenging. Many workplaces are not fully accessible or inclusive, and prejudice in hiring practices still exists.
• Disabled people often face additional living costs. This can include mobility equipment, home adaptations, or hiring personal assistants.
• Government benefits, such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP), are available, but many find the process of applying complex, stressful, and lengthy. Denied claims can lead to financial insecurity.

On top of this, reduced earning opportunities mean that many disabled people live on lower household incomes. This affects their ability to afford essentials like housing, energy bills, and healthy food.

Negative Attitudes

Negative attitudes towards disabled people remain a widespread issue. These attitudes, often based on ignorance or prejudice, can affect many areas of their lives.

Discrimination

Discriminatory behaviour occurs when disabled people are treated unfairly due to their condition. This could range from being denied a job to being overlooked in social situations. Disabled people often feel devalued when others treat them as less capable or intelligent. Examples of discrimination include:

• Employers assuming a disabled person cannot perform a role without considering reasonable adjustments.
• Service providers ignoring a disabled person’s needs, such as accessible seating.

Stereotyping and Misconceptions

Stereotypes about disabled people are still common. For example, some may assume a person with a physical disability also has a learning disability, or that a visually impaired person cannot live independently. These false assumptions can lower expectations for disabled people.

Pity is another form of negative attitude. Treating someone solely as an object of sympathy rather than as an equal can make them feel patronised. Many disabled people want to be recognised for their abilities, not just their challenges.

Bullying and Harassment

Some disabled people encounter bullying or harassment. This could include name-calling, jokes about their disability, or even physical aggression. Such behaviour creates a hostile environment and can severely impact their mental health.

Tackling negative attitudes requires raising awareness, providing education, and challenging prejudice wherever it occurs.

Physical Barriers

Physical barriers are obstacles that prevent disabled people from easily accessing spaces, services, or opportunities. These barriers can make the simplest tasks much harder or even impossible.

Access to Buildings

Many older buildings are designed without disabled people in mind, making access challenging. Common problems include:

• Doors that are too narrow for wheelchairs
• Lack of lifts or ramps, making staircases impassable
• Poorly designed toilets lacking grab rails, space, or adapted features

Even modern buildings may not meet accessibility standards if these needs are overlooked.

Travel and Transport Barriers

Public transport can be hard for disabled people to use. Steps onto buses or trains, limited space for wheelchairs, and inaccessible stations can restrict travel. Some people with sensory disabilities may find transport systems overwhelming if the environment is loud, crowded, or poorly signposted.

For those reliant on personal vehicles, problems like limited disabled parking spaces or poorly maintained pavements can hinder their mobility.

Barriers in Public Spaces

Outdoor areas often pose challenges for disabled people. Obstacles include high kerbs, uneven surfaces, and street furniture blocking paths. Poor lighting can make it harder for people with visual impairments to navigate safely.

Physical barriers exclude people from participating in society, and these barriers often go unacknowledged by architects, planners, and authorities.

Institutional Barriers

Institutional barriers are rules, policies, or systems that disadvantage disabled people. These barriers can exist in workplaces, schools, healthcare institutions, and public services.

Inaccessible Procedures

Forms, websites, and systems can create barriers when they don’t accommodate disabled people’s needs. For example:

• Online systems without screen reader compatibility exclude visually impaired users.
• Paper forms requiring handwritten signatures may create difficulties for those with motor impairments.

Staff training is often inadequate, leaving employees unsure how to assist disabled people, which can lead to poor service delivery.

Education

Disabled people can face challenges in education when schools or colleges lack reasonable adjustments. These might include:

• Insufficient one-to-one support for students who need it
• Overcrowded classrooms or lecture halls that are difficult to navigate with mobility aids
• Lack of accessible teaching materials for disabled students

This can result in reduced educational achievement, which in turn limits future opportunities.

Employment Barriers

Workplaces often contain institutional barriers preventing disabled people from thriving. Examples include:

• Lack of reasonable adjustments, such as flexible working hours or assistive technology
• Recruitment processes that do not accommodate disabilities, such as inaccessible interview locations or tests unsuitable for people with learning difficulties

Disability-confident schemes aim to reduce these barriers, but many employers still fail to implement inclusive practices.

Healthcare

Accessing healthcare services can be more difficult for disabled individuals. Barriers may include long waiting times, inaccessible buildings, or a lack of understanding from healthcare staff about their specific needs. Communication is also a challenge, particularly for those who are deaf or who have speech impairments.

Institutional barriers prevent disabled people from fully participating in society or accessing the services they need. Organisations must adapt their policies to address these issues.

Conclusion

Disabled people face significant difficulties that affect their daily lives and overall wellbeing. These include social and financial issues, negative attitudes, physical barriers, and institutional barriers. Support workers can make a positive difference by recognising these challenges and advocating for change.

Understanding the difficulties faced by disabled people enables you to offer better support. Always promote inclusion, fairness, and accessibility in everything you do.