The case in summary Wheelchair user Raymond Hoel has a bachelor’s degree in social work and professional experience from child protection. But the employers he has met refuse to accommodate the wheelchair. Hoel had a promising football career, but a cancer diagnosis changed his life drastically. He believes his life experiences can help children and young people in child welfare institutions. The Directorate for Children, Youth and Families (Bufdir) believes that wheelchair users can work within child protection, but points out that employees often have to deal with demanding situations. Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna supports Hoel and encourages employers to do more to include wheelchair users in working life. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. “Who wants to give me a chance?” This is how Raymond Hoel started the post on Linkedin, which was written in frustration after yet another rejection. – All I want is to help disadvantaged children and young people, he says dejectedly. So far, over 7,600 people have liked the post. The comment field overflows with messages of support from both far and near. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news He has relevant education to show for it, with a bachelor’s degree in social work from the Norwegian University of Applied Sciences. In addition, he has already worked as a case manager in child protection, and has three years’ experience with work inclusion measures in both Nav and Falck. He has also given lectures for the Cancer Society on topics such as motivation and coping. There’s just one problem: he’s in a wheelchair. – I receive exclusively positive feedback on my skills, and have come a long way in the employment processes. But as soon as they see or hear about the chair, they reject me, claims Hoel. Hoel copes well alone in everyday life, and is responsible for most of the kitchen work at home in the family home. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news Had to amputate my livelihood The plan was never to become a social worker. Back in 2005, the former left back from Fyllingsdalen was awarded a place to study in Wisconsin, USA where football was on the rise. Hoel’s team portrait from the USA. Photo: Privat Everything was in place for a professional career. But back pain dampened the joy of playing. Both the doctors and he himself thought the pain was due to a football injury. It turned out to be cancer, which attacked both soft tissue and bone. In a hurry, the then 21-year-old football talent was flown to Norway and put on the operating table. – Suddenly I was woken up again by the doctors, because they needed my permission to amputate. The amputation removed the entire left foot, in addition to large parts of the hip and half of the gluteal muscles. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news A4 family life With the foot, the cancer also disappeared. But life changed drastically. The training was challenging. At one point he struggled with depression. After a few tough years, he got back on his feet. In fact, he made it all the way to the wheelchair handball WC in Portugal, with the long stroke in 2022. Hoel was also a participant in the TV 2 season of “Ingen Grenser”. – Then I had a very big desire to become a father and have an “A4 family”. It has now been checked off and completed, so now all that remains is this. He estimates that he has applied for more than ten part-time positions and temps at child welfare institutions, and that he has been to four job interviews. The employers: – Krevende Tove Bruusgaard answers on behalf of the employers who are subject to the directorate. Photo: Bufdir The Directorate for Children, Youth and Families (Bufdir) represents the employers who have rejected Hoel’s job applications. – Wheelchair users can certainly work in child protection. But then it is the case that employees will often have to deal with very demanding situations where children can act out, try to escape and injure themselves or others, explains divisional director Tove Bruusgaard. Read the full response from Bufdir here “It is not allowed to discriminate against job seekers because of a disability. If demands are placed on or emphasis is placed on functional ability, this must be of decisive importance for the performance of the work. It is good and important that individuals, such as Hoel, the media and we as a society shine a spotlight on discrimination against people with disabilities in working life. As the Directorate for Equality, Bufdir is well aware of the barriers many people with disabilities face when looking for a job. Discrimination violates citizens’ rights, and is a serious challenge for a sustainable society. Wheelchair users can certainly work in child protection. Basically, what is needed is that they have the right skills. State and municipal employers must base their recruitment on the qualification principle. On a general basis, it is the case that staff, especially in institutions, will have to deal with very demanding situations where children in serious crises may act out, try to escape and harm themselves or others. These situations can have serious consequences for the young people, the employees and the workplace. Therefore, an overall assessment must also be made to ensure that in an emergency you are equipped to handle the most difficult cases. We hope and believe that Norwegian employers will realize that variations in functional ability are a natural part of human diversity. Diversity among employees can contribute to creativity and innovation. Many applicants with a disability have, precisely because of the disability, valuable experience in addition to formal competence. As Hoel writes, the fact that he is in a wheelchair can contribute to new thinking around conflict resolution.” news has been in contact with the disability association, which states that over 100,000 people with disabilities who would like to work experience rejection in working life. Gets support from the top The Minister for Employment and Inclusion, Tonje Brenna, praises Hoel, and thinks his example is an inspiration. Brenna is happy that people like Raymond speak out about the challenges in working life. Photo: Petter Larsson / news She believes that employers can do more to include more people in working life, but admits that there is still a way to go. – We have many requirements for facilitation in such situations, but we know that many still struggle to overcome barriers and prejudices, often due to insecurity. Employers must become better at rethinking which people we want in this type of workplace, she says. The Discrimination and Accessibility Act The Act’s purpose is to promote equality and equality, to ensure equal opportunities and rights to social participation for everyone, regardless of functional ability, and to prevent discrimination due to reduced functional ability. The Act shall contribute to the reduction of socially created disability barriers and prevent new ones from being created. Public authorities must work actively, purposefully and according to plan to promote the purpose of the Act. § 4 Prohibition against discrimination Direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of a disability is prohibited. Discrimination which is necessary to achieve an objective purpose, and which is not disproportionately intrusive towards the person or persons who are treated differently, is not considered discrimination according to the law here. Discrimination in working life must also be necessary for the exercise of work or profession. Discrimination due to inadequate physical accommodation is exhaustively regulated in §§ 9 and 12. § 12 Duty to individual accommodation The employer must make reasonable individual accommodation of the workplace and work tasks to ensure that an employee or job seeker with a disability can get or keep work, have access to training and other skills development as well as perform and have the opportunity to progress in the work on an equal basis with others. Schools and educational institutions must make reasonable individual arrangements for places of learning and teaching to ensure that pupils and students with disabilities receive equal training and educational opportunities. The municipality must make reasonable individual arrangements for childcare facilities to ensure that children with disabilities have equal development and activity opportunities. The municipality must make reasonable individual provision of services in accordance with the Social Services Act and the Municipal Health Services Act of a permanent nature for the individual, to ensure that people with disabilities receive an equal offer. Source: Ministry of Children and Equality/Legislative data Brenna refers to the government’s report to the Storting on labor market policy, which is just around the corner. This aims to make it easier for employers to accommodate those with disabilities. Still hopeful Hoel has a great understanding of the security measures required, and agrees with many of the arguments he has been presented with in the rejections. He specifies that he still works as a consultant in Nav, and enjoys it. – So I could just take it easy. But this is an interesting issue that I think we as a society should talk about more, he explains. Raymond Hoel with his dog Bruno (front left), partner Linda Hanssen and daughters Emma and Sofie. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news Several potential employers have made contact following the LinkedIn post. In August, he will have another job interview. – When I’m told that there’s something I can’t do, a “damn” goes in me. I want to prove that there is a use for people like me at the institutions, he concludes. Hi! Do you have any tips for this, or other relevant issues I should check out? Then I would like to hear from you! Published 19.08.2024, at 18.20
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– Give me a chance – news Vestland
