Unit 26 P3 Why do barriers exist?
P3: Explain barriers which may be experienced by individuals with additional needs.
Barriers: (how and why?)
Employment opportunities
There are a variety of different reasons why barriers may be created for employment opportunities
these could be;
Being unaware of job opportunities due to poor advertisement, for example on inaccessible job
boards online.
Inaccessible application, for example, a lack of appropriate formats for individuals who are
visually impaired.
The employment interview being unapproachable, for example, no ramp for wheelchair users.
The individual seeking employment may not have experienced the same educational, work
experience or training opportunities as other individuals may have.
Discrimination from other employees may prohibit the individual from entering employment at
the highest levels they were qualified for.
The employer may stereotypically believe that disabled individuals are going to be consistently
ill, may present a health and safety risk, are less productive or may not remain in employment
for long.
Employers may fear that employing a disabled individual will be quite expensive due to the
provision of appropriate adjustments, although these changes are often non-existent or minimal
and often paid by Access to Work.
Employers may be ignorant to what assistive technologies are readily available.
Individuals applying be lack confidence in completing an application due to prior rejections when
declaring a disability.
The individual applying may have inadequate skills in the ability to ‘sell’ themselves either
verbally in writing.
Physical access
Physical barriers are organisational obstructions in manmade or natural environments preventing or
impeding mobility or accessibility. Physical barriers could include;
Mammography equipment requiring a female with an impairment with mobility to stand.
Privation of weight scale accommodating individuals in wheelchairs or with difficulty in stepping.
Curbs and steps impeding an individual with a mobility disability from using a sidewalk or
entering a building.
Attitudinal
Attitudinal barriers are basic and impact other barriers. For example, some individuals may be
ignorant to the difficulties such as being unable to enter a building, preventing participation in daily
life and activities. Examples of attitudinal barriers include;
Stereotyping – Individuals may occasionally stereotype individuals with disabilities, making
assumptions that the disabled individual has a poor quality of life or they are unhealthy due to
their impairment.
Stigma, discrimination and prejudice – In society, these forms of attitude may come from ideals
associated with disability, for example, some individuals view disability as a personal misfortune,
something that must be prevented or treated, an inability to normalise correctly within society,
or a punishment for misconduct.
Modern society’s knowledge of disability is advancing as a disability is comprehended as what
happens when an individual’s functional requirements are unmet in the individual’s social and
physical environment. By not judging disability to be a personal discrepancy, but rather as a social
P3: Explain barriers which may be experienced by individuals with additional needs.
Barriers: (how and why?)
Employment opportunities
There are a variety of different reasons why barriers may be created for employment opportunities
these could be;
Being unaware of job opportunities due to poor advertisement, for example on inaccessible job
boards online.
Inaccessible application, for example, a lack of appropriate formats for individuals who are
visually impaired.
The employment interview being unapproachable, for example, no ramp for wheelchair users.
The individual seeking employment may not have experienced the same educational, work
experience or training opportunities as other individuals may have.
Discrimination from other employees may prohibit the individual from entering employment at
the highest levels they were qualified for.
The employer may stereotypically believe that disabled individuals are going to be consistently
ill, may present a health and safety risk, are less productive or may not remain in employment
for long.
Employers may fear that employing a disabled individual will be quite expensive due to the
provision of appropriate adjustments, although these changes are often non-existent or minimal
and often paid by Access to Work.
Employers may be ignorant to what assistive technologies are readily available.
Individuals applying be lack confidence in completing an application due to prior rejections when
declaring a disability.
The individual applying may have inadequate skills in the ability to ‘sell’ themselves either
verbally in writing.
Physical access
Physical barriers are organisational obstructions in manmade or natural environments preventing or
impeding mobility or accessibility. Physical barriers could include;
Mammography equipment requiring a female with an impairment with mobility to stand.
Privation of weight scale accommodating individuals in wheelchairs or with difficulty in stepping.
Curbs and steps impeding an individual with a mobility disability from using a sidewalk or
entering a building.
Attitudinal
Attitudinal barriers are basic and impact other barriers. For example, some individuals may be
ignorant to the difficulties such as being unable to enter a building, preventing participation in daily
life and activities. Examples of attitudinal barriers include;
Stereotyping – Individuals may occasionally stereotype individuals with disabilities, making
assumptions that the disabled individual has a poor quality of life or they are unhealthy due to
their impairment.
Stigma, discrimination and prejudice – In society, these forms of attitude may come from ideals
associated with disability, for example, some individuals view disability as a personal misfortune,
something that must be prevented or treated, an inability to normalise correctly within society,
or a punishment for misconduct.
Modern society’s knowledge of disability is advancing as a disability is comprehended as what
happens when an individual’s functional requirements are unmet in the individual’s social and
physical environment. By not judging disability to be a personal discrepancy, but rather as a social
