Rectifying the problems of disability and missing a dear friend

Let's take the example of a person with depression. Though highly
capable they are disadvantaged because their depression stopped them
completing their degree. They had high academic performance but a severe
bout of depression meant they dropped out in their first year of
university and didn't return.

Ten years later their peers all have professional roles which are well
paid. Their peers work hard and are well rewarded. The person with
depression isn't. They've had to work their way up from the bottom and
are excluded from professional roles and many other roles because of
their lack of a degree.

Their capability to learn and their potential is undiminished. The
constructs of society mean that their capability is underused and their
potential unfulfilled. They may be happy with the life they had but on
the relative measure of where their peer group ended up they may feel as
though they are undervalued in relation to those who never suffered
depression.

This example is taken from a dear friend of mine who I've not seen in
too long. I'm not sure if she was a schizophrenic or a depressive but
she dropped out of university in the first year and never came back. I
think of her even to this day. She was bright, talented and attractive.
I'm sure she still is. I don't know where she is or what she's doing
right now but I guess without a degree she's been significantly
disadvantaged in employment.

The times are changing. IBM have dropped the requirement of a degree for
their graduate program. They still use testing and these tests may be
discriminatory, for example a depressive going through depression may
have cognitive problems which means they may score worse than their
optimum performance. The tests may also be weighted against the
qualities which come from mental illness.

Tests are generally less open to discrimination than people. A depressed
person may come off very badly in an interview. But tests are still
written by people. For example the IQ test has been accused of
discriminating against black-skinned people who often have a different
for of intelligence.

If, perhaps, employers understood that most people have the capability
to the job required of them and if they don't they'll learn with time
and support then that would be a step forward but this is pretty
unrealistic. Most workplaces need a person who can quickly get to an
optimum level of productivity, fit in with their colleagues and the
hierarchy, follow the rules and all the crap which comes with working at
a corporation/post-Industrial Age factory work setting. Employers still
want robots rather than humans.

Right now I don't care. I miss my friend. She was an amazing
photographer and I can't see any of her work online. The loss of her
artistic and creative talent is a loss to the world if she's stopped
taking photographs. The loss of her in my life is like a black hole in
my heart, but there are many of those and I've learned to live with
those wounds.