Lucy now has the confidence to fight workplace discrimination

It came as a shock to me. Maybe it shouldn’t have, but when I started applying for jobs, I thought I’d get interviews. I’d just graduated, I was really keen and I was willing to work my way up.

Employers didn’t see me, only my wheelchair

I didn’t realise my qualifications and skills would count for nothing, after seeing my wheelchair, employers weren’t interested. Some of them would word it carefully and ask, “How could you do this or that?” but I could see they weren’t really listening to my answers. The message was clear – they weren’t going to employ me because I’m disabled.

Losing all hope

In the end I must have applied for more than 500 jobs and I didn’t get a single one. I tried recruitment agencies, the job centre – everything. It got to the point where I didn’t know what else to do.

I was depressed. My confidence was destroyed. I lost all hope. I really needed a job to move forward with my life, but I wasn’t getting anywhere.

Contacting Scope was the best thing I did

Unlike the agencies, the job centre and everyone else. Scope got straight back to me. I could not have asked for a better employment advisor – Zaid was brilliant. He kept telling me, ‘I believe you can do this’. For the first time, I felt like I was dealing with someone who cared.

Zaid opened up new opportunities for me, suggesting jobs I hadn’t considered before. He helped me with my CV and writing strong covering letters. But the most important thing Scope did was to build my confidence back up. With his support, I learned about my rights and the best way to present myself to an employer.

I won’t let myself be treated like I was

Thanks to your support and with what I know now, I won’t let myself be treated like I was before. Like anyone, I want to be independent and financially secure. But I also want the chance to go to work every day, work alongside colleagues, and feel my life is going somewhere.

Your generosity will allow Scope to support other disabled people who are in the position I was, only a few months ago. Please donate today so others can overcome the barriers that are put in their way.