A shift from pity to rights
Research from the United Nations and the International Labour Organization shows that the main barriers disabled people face are systemic: discriminatory attitudes, inaccessible environments, and a lack of reasonable accommodation in schools, workplaces, and public services—not a lack of capacity or willingness to contribute. Studies across regions repeatedly find that employers underestimate the abilities of people with disabilities, assume lower productivity, and overestimate the cost of accommodations, despite evidence that many adjustments are low-cost and yield clear benefits.
