Patronised and paid peanuts: disabled people and our work culture

With productivity hailed as the essence of our work culture, a large sector of society is labelled as unproductive and stripped of basic rights, says The Spinoff. Labour inspectors may issue minimum wage exemption permits to employees who have a disability that limits them carrying out the requirements of their work. But Human rights lawyer Dr Huhana Hickey calls sheltered workshops a “cop out,” saying that disabled people are diverse and more capable and creative than people think, but their abilities are minimised, they are often paid a pittance for work that others would earn more for doing.