With an estimated 600,000 job vacancies in the British economy to fill, the government has launched a new scheme to spell out the benefits of employing disabled people.
Employ Ability aims to highlight the benefits of employing disabled people and dispel some of the myths.
Work and pensions secretary John Hutton said: “We will not succeed in changing the attitudes of employers by simply placing additional burdens on them. It has to be about enabling them to see and benefit from the huge potential that disabled people have to offer and the difference that they can make to an employer’s bottom line.”
Employ Ability will be piloted in Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and Liverpool from September before being rolled out nationwide next year.
It will:
- Challenge negative assumptions about the skills and talent of disabled workers and those with long-term health conditions
- Address misconceptions of risk – such as adaptations to the workplace being costly
- Build employers’ confidence in recruiting and retaining disabled workers and promote best practice examples
- Improve employers’ access to practical information, making it easier for them to find relevant sources of advice and support
Employ Ability will also advise employers on best practice in retaining current employees who become disabled while in the job.
