I met a man begging at a robot the other day.

I met a man begging at a robot the other day.

There was nothing wrong with him other than that he was missing a leg. I asked him why he didn't have a job and he replied that he couldn't get one.

He was fully qualified as a call centre agent and had experience in other administrative fields, but every time he went for an interview the person who was hiring just couldn't see past the empty trouser leg. So there he was panhandling at a robot because his disability grant didn't stretch very far.

I felt really sorry for him and I realised that in the current economic climate it can't be easy for the disabled.

His medical needs must be much more than the average person's and if he is paying the same for food and transport as able-bodied people, his rands must be disappearing fast.

If you have a company and a physically-challenged person comes for an interview please do look at the person's skills, not his obstacles. Heaven knows we need all the skills we can get.

Patricia MokgohlwaJohannesburg