To mark the launch of the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH) on Monday November 17, and the 20th anniversary of the 2005 law on equal rights and opportunities, Ifop has carried out a new survey for LADAPT, Agefiph and fiphfp: “Handicaps et emploi : l’égalité pour toutes et tous!
The 7 main findings:
- The 2005 law: progress acknowledged, but insufficient to meet expectations of real equality
Twenty years on, 60% of disabled people recognize progress, but only 12% speak of major changes. Professional equality is still defined above all as “being recognized for one’s skills without prejudice” (41%), revealing that the main battle remains that of the way disability is viewed. This mixed perception cuts across all types of disability, with a particularly low level of satisfaction for mental disabilities (55%) and multiple disabilities (53%).
- Professional integration and recruitment: an obstacle course of discretion
From CV to interview, the path is strewn with obstacles: refusal without return (81%), intrusive questions (57%), injunctions to keep quiet or “fix” their story (62% hide certain aspects of their situation). More than a third never declare their disability at the recruitment stage (36%; 40% for respondents with a psychological disability), for fear of implicit screening or misunderstanding of their abilities. This under-declaration deprives people of useful accommodations from the outset, and makes the start of their career more fragile; it also paves the way for particularly risky career transitions.
- Restricted ambition: when internalized obstacles limit professional horizons
70% of disabled people have not been promoted in 5 years (vs. 58% of the representative sample of French employees), a stagnation that seems to be internalized as early as the job search stage: only 56% attach importance to career prospects (vs. 65% of employees). This self-censorship is explained by experience: 46% identify professional transitions as the moment when the impact of disability is strongest. Changing means losing the accommodations acquired and starting the adaptation process all over again, turning mobility into a risk rather than an opportunity.
- Inclusion at different speeds: when size and resources determine the quality of adaptation
The data reveal contrasting realities depending on the organizational context. Executives (75%) and employees of employers with over 250 employees (71%) are more likely to have adapted tools, compared with just 43% of blue-collar workers. The presence of a disability advisor transforms the experience: 76% of employees concerned have adapted tools, versus 53% without an advisor. These massive discrepancies reveal a map of inclusion where employers with a larger number of employees and more structure offer the right conditions, while SMEs and low-skilled positions accumulate adaptation difficulties.
- Psychological insecurity at work: the hidden price of difference
People with disabilities live in a professional environment marked by insecurity: only 67% feel safe to report a problem without fear of reprisal (vs. 73% of employees), and 58% can’t talk about their mental health without fearing negative consequences. This vulnerability explains why, when looking for a job, they attach greater importance to the organization’s values (76% vs. 70% of the French employee sample) and its inclusion policy (69% vs. 54%), looking for signals of benevolence even before applying. The paradox of forced invisibility is rooted in this insecurity: 36% never declare their disability during the recruitment process, a rate that rises to 40% for people with mental disabilities.
- Solutions exist and work, but remain under-deployed
The survey reveals untapped potential: technical adaptations work (76% satisfied with digital tools), teleworking significantly improves quality of life (61% vs. 47%), and successful integration generates satisfaction (66%, and 70% in companies with a disability referent) and commitment within the team (80% of people with disabilities feel integrated). The challenge is to generalize these proven solutions to the entire business fabric.
