Employment and disability: societal ableism, serendipity, and universal design (1919)

Drawing on the author’s lived experience, qualitative research, and policy analysis, this article discusses some issues experienced by disabled workers. It critiques the limitations of existing initiatives, such as Access to Work and the Disability Confident scheme, highlighting the role of serendipity in shaping disabled workers’ careers. The article concludes that meaningful progress requires universal design, embedding barrier-free systems that benefit all employees.