translated from Spanish: COVID leaves 31% of people with intellectual disabilities unemployed

Abraham Trejo Pulido called again and again to his work, wanted to know when they could return to face-to-face activities, no longer wanted to be at home and missed his colleagues. When they finally answered the call it was only to ask him to come and sign because there had been staff cuts and it had been his turn.
“I didn’t expect it, I was hoping to go back (sic) to the place where I had always worked. I was speechless, signed and got my final as the law. I retired, I said goodbye… you feel ugly because it was already many years working in a company that provided the support and help,” the 29-year-old tells Animal Politico.
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Abraham has an intellectual disability and since he was very young has received support from the Mexican Confederation of Organizations in favor of people with intellectual disabilities (CONFE) where they trained and prepared him to join the labor market.
When he was ready – nine years ago – he entered a company where he did office work. From 08:00 to 15:00 hours I supported in the area of human resources. In a video call he explained that he was in charge of internal messaging. He had his biweekly salary and received his benefits according to the law, but the COVID-19 pandemic came and everything started to crud up.
“By June (2020) I was rested by the pandemic (…) yes they were paying me still, but I was at home,” says the young man.

With the salary he received, he explains, he cooperated at home with the purchase of food, the payment of gas or electricity, in addition to the fact that he could afford the personal things he required.
A year ago Abraham was infected with COVID so on August 24 he had to be hospitalized. He remained under medical observation for 14 days and although, he says, it was very complicated for him and his family, he was eventually discharged with the instruction to use oxygen for an entire year.
By the end of November, when he was already feeling strong and ready to get on with his job, that’s when he was asked to come forward because he would be liquidated.
“I wanted to go back to work and be back with my colleagues because it was what I liked the most, the atmosphere I liked a lot, but with all this I did not expect them to run me and yes, it is something that I could not explain, it did not fit in my head that after 9 years I was kicked out” Share.
With his liquidation Abraham lost his health insurance, so he had to stop using the oxygen he was prescribed after recovering from COVID because, he regrets, neither he nor his family had the resources to acquire it from private individuals.
“You feel ugly and give courage, I did not explain it to myself, it did not go through my head that almost 9 years in a company and out of nowhere … for me it was something that was not worth it, that was not fair to me and my family, “he reproaches.
For just over eight months he has been unemployed and although he has looked for some opportunities he has not found them for different reasons: there is no culture of inclusion in jobs and there are few places where people with intellectual disabilities are hired, there are no opportunities to do office work – his area of expertise – and the salaries they offer are far below what he earned.
Unemployed
In order to learn how the COVID-19 health crisis has affected people with intellectual disabilities, Inclusion International – a network of organizations dedicated to defending the human rights of people with intellectual disabilities and their families – teamed up with 14 organizations in Latin America to conduct surveys to gauge the impact of the health crisis.
This work is contained in the report entitled “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with intellectual disabilities and their families in Latin America 2021” which presents the results obtained in eleven countries, including Mexico.
With regard to the impact that the health crisis had on jobs occupied by people with intellectual disabilities, the report states that 31% of those who had a job lost it either through dismissal, business closures or other reasons.
It is private companies and governments that bring together 68% of the work spaces occupied by people with intellectual disabilities (46% and 22% respectively), while family businesses offer 14% and organizations of and for people with disabilities 9%.
“The countries with the highest percentage of people with intellectual disabilities who perform a paid work activity are Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, which can affect their economic autonomy, their access to educationón, to health, to medical therapies (and) in their quality of life,” the report reads.
Edgar, 45, for example, was already 20 years old working in a CDMX restaurant. Two decades ago, when he found this job – the first – he was hired in the cleaning area, but over the years he changed to become a general kitchen assistant.
“When the pandemic hit, I was called by human resources to let me and my colleagues know that there was going to be staff cuts. After many years working there I was out of a job. I came home sad and worried about what I would do at the time and that it would be difficult to get back to work,” Edgar shares.
For half a year he was at home unemployed and taking care of himself so as not to get sick.
With the support of the inclusion program of the organization CONFE, a few months ago Edgar found a new job, now in a self-service store where he is in charge of cleaning.
“I do the cleaning, lunchtime and then I continue,” the man explained.
When asked what he says to employers who put people with intellectual disabilities out of work, Edgar thinks about it and says, “Don’t put me out of a job, you need it.”
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Exceptional cases
Carmen Jordán, director of the Labor Inclusion Agency of CONFE, explained that before the health crisis, the area under her charge followed more than 200 people with intellectual disabilities who worked in different spaces, however, now there are about 190 because there have been different layoffs and although it has sought to find them a new job, says Jordán, it is not an easy task.
For example, Abraham remains unemployed because there are few work spaces for people with intellectual disabilities that are in offices.
According to the records they keep, during the health crisis they encountered different assumptions in labor matters for the young people they follow up: from those employers who sent them to work from home with their full salary, who cut their salary or who stopped paying them, but did not run them under the promise that when the health and economic situation improves they will be able to return to their jobs.
“They last so many years (in their jobs) because CONFE follows up for working life, every two months we talk to companies to see how we support them,” Jordan explained.
In fact, he stressed, there are cases of retired people, who have been able to access credit and buy their apartment or their car.
Victor, for example, has been working at CONFE for 16 years. He’s a baker.
Since March 2020 he has been at home and has not been left without his salary or his job.
“I send my photos so that they can see that I am working because I am paid there (…) with that I support in my house. I support my mom with her expense. I buy my clothes, my cell phone and various things. I know how to handle my money,” the young man shares.
More than 16 months after not being able to go to work, Victor says he misses his colleagues, but knows he must continue to take care of himself. He now expects the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want to go back to my job, but right now they are taking care of us, when there is a green light we will return,” he says with enthusiasm.
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Original source in Spanish

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