Older workers with a disability: how to get into employment

Disability and work after 50: what are we talking about?

The word disability covers very different realities: reduced mobility, sight or hearing loss, a chronic illness, a mental health condition, the after-effects of an accident or a long illness. Many people find themselves living with a disability during their working life, sometimes after 50, without ever having taken any formal steps.

In the world of work, what matters is not the label but the effect of the disability on the job: what you can do, with which adjustments, and at what pace. The aim is to find or keep a post whose demands match your abilities, with the necessary adaptations.

Official recognition as a disabled worker (RQTH in France)

In France, the RQTH is an administrative decision taken by the competent commission of the departmental disability office, the MDPH. It opens access to measures designed to make it easier to find or stay in work: adapted hours, equipment for the workstation, specialist support and certain forms of funding.

• The application is personal: it is made to the MDPH, with a medical certificate.
• Processing times can be long, so allow for that.
• The decision is granted for a limited and renewable period, or sometimes without time limit.
• It is not compulsory in order to work, and you decide whether or not to tell your employer.

It does not by itself change your pay or your contract, and it gives no automatic right to early retirement. The exact conditions should be checked with the MDPH. Other countries have their own systems of recognition, so look at what applies where you live.

Jobs that suit a disability: think in terms of abilities

There is no list of jobs "reserved" for disabled people. A reception post, administrative work, accounting, remote customer service, advisory work, training or mentoring may all be suitable, depending on the nature of the limitation. What matters is to identify the tasks you can do, those that need adaptations and those that have to be ruled out.

For physically demanding work, the points to examine are standing for long periods, lifting, travel and the working environment. For a vision, hearing or concentration difficulty, look at digital tools, noise levels and working hours. An assessment with a specialist adviser helps turn these observations into concrete job leads.

Adapting the workstation and working time

Employers are generally required to take appropriate measures so that a disabled employee can work, unless the burden would be disproportionate. The adaptation can be very simple: an adjustable chair, screen magnification or speech recognition software, staggered hours, partial home working, fewer journeys.

• Make a precise list of what would make your work easier.
• Ask the occupational health service, which advises both employee and employer.
• Find out what financial help exists for employers, without promising it in advance.

Part-time work or a phased return can also be considered. What is possible varies with the company, the sector and your medical file.

Organisations that support people into work

Several bodies specialise in the working lives of disabled people. A network of specialist agencies provides a welcome, an assessment of your situation, help in building a project, support with job hunting and follow-up after you are hired. Associations also offer pre-orientation courses, training and supported employment.

Dedicated funds can contribute to the cost of training, equipment or adapting a workstation, according to criteria that need checking. Start by contacting the organisation closest to you: the service is usually free for the individual.

Presenting your background and your needs when you apply

You are under no obligation to mention your disability on a CV or at interview. Some candidates prefer to do so at the outset in order to ask for adjustments; others wait until the job is confirmed. Both approaches are defensible, and the decision is yours.

If you choose to talk about it, keep the focus on solutions: "With this piece of equipment, I can carry out these duties." Put your skills, experience and reliability first, then say in a sentence or two what makes your work easier. Prepare simple answers to practical questions, without going into medical detail, which is a private matter.

Combining work with a pension, an allowance or retirement

Going back to work can affect certain benefits linked to invalidity or disability. The subject is technical: income ceilings, declaring your activity, rules on combining payments, the move from an invalidity pension to a retirement pension. These rules depend on the scheme, the benefit and the date.

Before you sign a contract, ask the body that pays the benefit to work out the effect of your earnings on your entitlements. Keep the answers in writing. A specialist adviser or a social worker can also help you understand where you stand.

An example of a career path

As an example, take a 56-year-old with an illness that affects her spine and who can no longer work on her feet in a shop. She obtains recognition as a disabled worker, takes stock with a specialist adviser and focuses her search on a part-time case-handling job with a suitable chair.

She arranges a trial period to test the pace and notes down her needs with the occupational health doctor. This case is not a promise of anything: each path depends on the medical situation, the local job market and the employers met along the way.