Disability diversity still lacking in SA's workforce: What needs to change

Image source: Moe Magners from Pexels

According to the 25th Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Report, persons with disabilities make up only 1.4% of the workforce, well below the national 3% target. Representation at senior levels is even lower: 1.0% in top management and 1.3% in senior management. Only 1.0% of promotions go to employees with disabilities, leaving many talented individuals with limited opportunities for career progression.

Ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, Prof Armand Bam, head of Social Impact at Stellenbosch Business School, warns that business-as-usual is no longer acceptable and that meaningful action is urgently needed.

“Disability inclusion is not charity, it’s a legal requirement and a matter of social justice,” says Bam. “When disabled employees rarely see themselves in leadership roles, it reinforces the damaging stereotype that persons with disabilities are not leadership material.”

Prof Bam emphasises that intersectionality is critical: “A Black woman with a disability faces layered marginalisation such as racialised, gendered and ableist barriers. Organisations must recognise these compounded disadvantages if they are to achieve true inclusion.”

South Africa’s stagnant 1.4% workforce representation shows that awareness alone is not enough.

“Organisations must move from compliance to measurable action, embedding disability into strategy, policy, and leadership culture. Immediate practical steps can make a real difference: accessible communications, ergonomically adjustable workstations, and inclusive procurement are all implementable today,” says Bam.

He says that even with legal protections, the daily experience of employees with disabilities is shaped by structural and cultural barriers:

• Persistent bias, particularly against invisible, psychosocial, or episodic disabilities.
  
• High rates of non-disclosure due to fear of stigma or job loss; over 60% of workers with invisible disabilities choose not to disclose globally.
  
• Digital and physical inaccessibility, worsened by rapid technological adoption.
  
• Limited participation in decision-making, lower confidence and higher turnover intention.

“Globally, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) confirms that persons with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled persons, a reality reflected in South Africa’s stagnating workforce representation.”

Prof Bam notes that inclusion is more than compliance and that it requires systemic change. He says that common obstacles include:

• Overly medicalised or bureaucratic accommodation processes.
  
• Misconceptions about costs, even though 53% of accommodations cost nothing.
  
• Managers lacking knowledge about disability rights and accommodations.
  
• HR systems and workplace cultures that fail to integrate disability into mainstream DEI strategy.

“Meaningful inclusion requires a shift from tokenistic interventions to systemic redesign, from ‘fixing the person’ to fixing the environment, and from reactive compliance to proactive universal design.

“In addition, persons with disabilities must participate in decisions that affect them. This is the only way to create workplaces that are equitable and just.”

Bam says that there are key strategies that organisations can actively drive. These include:

• Transparent, fast and employee-friendly accommodation processes.
  
• Accessibility audits of buildings, websites and digital systems.
  
• Flexible hours, hybrid working, and sensory-friendly spaces.
  
• Integrating disability into KPIs, reporting, leadership development and procurement.
  
• Mandatory disability confidence training for managers.