“I hope The Field will create employment possibilities for disabled people” 

Like many members of the disability community, writer Laura Pettenuzzo is sceptical about Dylan Alcott’s new inclusive job site. However, she’s “tentatively optimistic” it represents a move in the right direction.

Last week, Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott officially launched The Field, an online jobs platform seeking to connect disabled job-seekers with inclusive employers.

As a disabled woman who struggled for many years to find a job, let alone one that met my access needs, I welcomed the news of The Field. For several years, I worked in a job that required me to climb two flights of stairs to get to the office. I often wondered, “what would happen if a wheelchair user wanted to work here?” I didn’t consider that the pain and fatigue I felt from climbing those stairs each day was a barrier too, one I shouldn’t have had to face.

I hadn’t disclosed my cerebral palsy or my psychosocial disability when I applied for the role. I was afraid that doing so would decrease my chances of success. So when I saw that The Field has a specific search filter for various access needs, one of which is lift access, I felt a sense of joyous disbelief. Could things really, finally, begin to change? 

“Begin” is the operative word. As a young woman, I wasn’t comfortable disclosing my disability to a single employer. Signing up for a platform on which every potential employer knew I was disabled the moment I registered would be – frankly, still is – unfathomable. Back then, I wouldn’t have identified as disabled in the first place. Now, though I am extremely proud to be part of the disability community, I admit that uploading my employment information to a site that is only for disabled people feels a little alienating. 

Is meeting the access needs of people with disability (which is a legal requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act) so challenging for employers that we need to be considered a completely separate cohort? In an ideal world, every employment platform would endeavour to consider and meet the access needs of potential employees. But until then, I hope The Field will create a myriad of employment possibilities for disabled people.

Despite The Field’s commitment to accessibility, some members of the disability community are sceptical about whether the site can truly support the disability community when one in six of us live in poverty. As one Twitter user put it, “people can’t look for jobs if they can barely survive.” It takes mental and physical energy to search for employment as well as material and financial resources including, but not limited to, a mobile device, internet access, and transport to get to interviews. 

I share their scepticism. I was enormously privileged to have had the financial support of my family during the years when I couldn’t find a job. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. For various reasons, many disabled people may not have that safety net. Employers on The Field must consider the impacts of socioeconomic status for job applicants.

Time will tell whether employers and disabled job-seekers embrace The Field, but I’m tentatively optimistic. Disabled people deserve to live in a world where we are not left in poverty, a world where we have equal access to employment, and I hope The Field can start to make that world a reality.