Funksjonshemming og arbeid - om like muligheter for deltakelse

Abstract

Statistics show a gap in employment rate for people with and without disabilities despite decades of disability policy promoting equal opportunities for societal participation. This thesis provides insight into what may facilitate or impede employment participation for persons with disabilities, drawing on qualitative interviews with employed Norwegians and Americans with disabilities, born in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. In the interviewees’ stories strong work ethics, higher education, and supportive employers emerge as facilitators for employment while lack of/delayed provision of accommodation and support as well as hesitant employers emerge as obstacles to employment. These findings are discussed in view of Anthony Giddens’ theory of lifestyle choices and Nancy Frasers’ “participatory parity” to offer insight as to why the experiences of transition into employment for persons with disabilities may differ from the objectives of national disability policies. The cross-national approach shows that the interviewees, despite living within different welfare policy contexts, face similar challenges with regards to participation in work life on a par with persons without disabilities.