A survey by Stanley Hutcheson & Associates (SHA)‚ conducted in Johannesburg with students between the ages of 20 and 28 years‚ found that 43% of South African students believe mindset is critical to success‚ while 86% of the respondents said they felt they could empathise with those different to themselves. SHA‚ a skills development firm specialising in practical work readiness programmes‚ conducted the lifestyle survey with a group of learners to ascertain their societal perceptions on their communities and people with disabilities.A noteworthy finding revealed a contradiction between how learners and society perceive each other.According to the respondents‚ more than 74% felt that they were ambitious and respectful to those around them despite feeling that they were seen as lazy and arrogant by society.Nearly half of respondents felt that a negative mindset was what really limited people in general and not just those with a disability - 71% felt that people with disabilities could do the same or just as good a job as themselves‚ and 29% believed that people with disabilities are capable‚ but sometimes job specifications would come into play.Not one participant felt that people with disabilities are incapable of being a productive and contributing employee.Augustus Xaba‚ a participant in the survey said‚ “In my dealings with the general public‚ I felt that I was perceived as naive‚ arrogant and lazy‚ but I don’t feel this is the case. People need to listen and observe before making a judgement call. I am working hard to eventually open my business within the automotive industry and there are a lot of likeminded students out there.” Stanley Hutcheson‚ SHA founder and MD said‚ “Interestingly Xaba’s point alludes to the next significant finding in our research. Aside from familial role models‚ 14% of students felt that they were their own best role model.“This sentiment could be linked to the respondents feeling that our country is not supportive enough to students and people with disabilities.” However‚ this did not curb their positive outlook for the future‚ with 40% of respondents stating that they were committed to finishing their qualification and a further 33% wanting to establish their own businesses one day.This spirit of entrepreneurship‚ combined with the fact that 86% of students felt that they could empathise with those different to themselves‚ bodes well when challenging negative stigmas and stereotypes facing people with disabilities‚ said Hutcheson. “At SHA we specialise in placing matric graduates in leading corporates across all industries. Our candidates have to meet the criteria specified by our clients’ qualification requirements.“In order to meet our clients’ needs‚ it’s critical that we have a clear insight into our students’ opinions regardless of whether they are abled-bodied or have a disability. By making sure we understand their point of view‚ we can also ensure that our learners’ are happy with their placements.“SHA has been challenging generalised perceptions about people with disabilities since 2002. The fact that our students who took part in this survey have such a positive outlook on people with disabilities means that we are succeeding‚” said Hutcheson...