A WOMAN who feared she would never work again after a suicide attempt left her disabled is leading a project to help get more disabled people back into employment in Barnsley.
Former social worker Kathryn Littlewood said the stress of her job had made her mentally ill, culminating in 2004 with the then 35-year-old throwing herself from the 13th storey of a car park in Sheffield.
“I fell 90ft,” said Kathryn. “I landed on my feet and broke every bone in my body.”
Kathryn, who struggles to walk and sometimes uses a wheelchair, rebuilt her life, and her long road to recovery eventually led to her going in search of work.
“I had to re-enter the job market, feeling like nobody would ever employ me again,” she said.
But 14 years on, Kathryn is working with the Department of Work and Pensions on a scheme to help improve disabled people’s job prospects, and to make Barnsley’s Jobcentre Plus a more welcoming and inviting place for those looking to return to work.
“The government has put 32 disabled people like myself into job centres across the country to lead teams of disabled people to make some radical changes to the way people are treated in the job centres, but also to improve opportunities for disabled people in the workplace.
“We want to change the culture of job centres to make them more accessible, and to make them more pleasant spaces.
“Part of that is about training all staff on issues to do with disability.
“Another key part is working with employers and the community to develop better opportunities so that disabled people have the access to jobs, and access to good jobs.”
Kathryn is an extreme example of someone whose life was changed by a disability and made the return to work, but she said there were countless people out there who will find the prospect of looking for work daunting, and a misconception there are no opportunities for them.
A disability recruitment event is being held at the town hall next week for people to find out about job opportunities, particularly in public sector organisations including the police and fire services, Barnsley Council, Berneslai Homes and Barnsley College.
“There will be jobs available on the day,” said Kathryn. “One of the issues is about understanding what sort of opportunities are available, in organisations like the police for example. You don’t have to be a policeman or a police woman - there are lots of other jobs available.
“This event is about showing people the plethora of jobs that are available for disabled people.”
Kathryn is currently on secondment to the DWP from the charity Disability Sheffield to lead the project.
The event on Thursday will be held at the town hall. The session from 10am until 11.30am is aimed at providers of services to disabled people, and any organisation which works with disabled people, to network with the public sector bodies in attendance.
From noon onwards disabled people and their families are invited to go along to find out about the help available and a number of jobs opportunities will be on offer. Disability employment advisers will be on hand to speak about access to work, the equality act, what are ‘reasonable adjustments’ and disclosing disability.
