For many years now I have struggled with trying to either understand or reconcile this picture and each time I try I only seem to become more confused and if someone out there can help me to clarify, unclutter, or understand, then I shall be eternally grateful. So without much more ado, here it is.
Society seems to place so much emphasis on the status of white collar jobs. They seem to place so much emphasis on jobs that reside in such fields as technology, tele communications, finance, electronics, the medical profession, the legal profession, and I could go on and on.
Salaries in these fields are highly competitive and there are so many well paying jobs to be found. However when you focus in on those jobs that deal with the offering of services to persons with special needs, somehow; this picture suddenly turns from rosy to rotten.
Why is it for example, companies, governments, and we as a whole are not willing to pay workers solid salaries when it comes to providing services to customers and clients with special needs? Think of it! Many companies are only willing to pay their agents minimum wages. They demand that they work long hours and they provide very little training to them.
One entity that comes to mind are contractors at the Greater Toronto Airport. I have been told first hand by agents who have escorted me through the airport that they are continually being called upon to work very long hours for precious little pay and next to nothing training. The employee turn over here is quite high and this is not the only place where this appears to be the norm.
When it comes to those companies that have special needs departments; this sadly enough is also the case. When it comes to those home care workers and bus drivers who drive kids with special needs; this is also the case and there are several more examples sprinkled heavily across our work force.
So what’s wrong with this picture? Why is it that somehow companies do not feel it necessary to pay those employees top dollar when it comes to the offering of services to persons with disabilities? Is it that they just do not feel that customers and clients with disabilities are not important enough so as to positively affect their bottom line? Or put in another way; that customers and clients with special needs affect their bottom line in a negative way and are a cost rather than a revenue?
Is it something else that I am missing? Or is it simply that society does not believe that it is important enough for persons with disabilities to be treated equally?
Just my questions for today.