People with physical or learning disabilities make up about a fifth of the population, but many struggle to get employment. But this means that businesses could be missing out on productive and loyal employees.
In January-March 2019, 7.6 million people of working age (16-64) reported that they had a disability, which is 18% of the working age population, according to government statistics. Of those, 51.7% were in employment, a rise of 1% - or 150,000 people – year-on-year. In comparison, 81.7% of people without disabilities were in employment.
However, the picture for people with a learning disability is very different. While figures vary, it is thought that fewer than 10% have a paid job. Learning disability charity Base estimates that in 2017/18 only 6.6% of people with a learning disability known to social services had paid employment – be that full- or part-time. This is a figure that has remained stubbornly low for many years now.
However, those with disabilities who are unemployed and able to work are often desperate to get a job but find barriers in their way – and this is a huge waste of potential.
To this end, in 2017 the government set a target of having 4.5 million people with disabilities in paid employment by 2027 – a rise of 1 million people. To help people with disabilities, the government is looking to provide more personalised support packages for people to get into work and to stay in work.
There are many reasons to employ people with a disability. Firstly – and most importantly – they can do a good job and work as quickly and efficiently as non-disabled people. Many just require a chance to show what they can do.
People with disabilities can also bring different perspectives on issues that may not otherwise have been thought of, and more accurately reflect the company’s customer base. They may also bring additional skills to a business, such as being able to use British Sign Language, which can help to engage with customers with hearing loss.
Employing a person with a disability is not just a box-ticking exercise. Of course, there is legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have to offer equal opportunities to everyone and ensure all jobs are accessible to all.
Reasonable adjustments
When employing a person with a disability, an employer has to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate any additional needs they may have or remove any barriers to working. This can include adding ramps for wheelchair users, providing adapted office equipment or offering additional training or mentoring. It also includes offering flexible working patterns, if, for example, a person has to attend regular hospital appointments or has a mental health condition that fluctuates.
While some adaptations cost little or nothing to implement, others do have a cost. However, an employer may be able to claim some or all of the expense of it through the government’s Access to Work scheme.
Employers can also sign up to the Disability Confident scheme, which helps business owners/managers to think differently about disability, and improve how they attract, recruit and retain disabled workers.
Employers in the scheme can use the Disability Confident symbol on adverts to show they encourage applications from disabled people. For more information go to: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/
Enterprising solution
Social enterprise and Made in the Midlands member Colebridge Enterprises has a workforce largely comprising people with physical and learning disabilities. The assembly, packing and component kiting company based in Solihull provides services for a variety of customers within the automotive and other manufacturing sectors.
The workforce is made up of a mix of full- and part-time staff, as well as apprentices, interns and those on voluntary work experience.
“We offer a service where local people can benefit from valuable work experience and when ready be supported into mainstream employment, allowing us to support new people in need; we also provide direct longer-term employment” explains Chet Parmar, Managing Director at Colebridge Enterprises. “We deliver care services, for people with learning disabilities who regularly attend because they want to do more than sit around in traditional day services or the like.”
Chet adds that Solihull-based Colebridge Enterprises reduces the burden on the public purse of people claiming out-of-work benefits by providing these work opportunities.
“If someone is able to work, we facilitate them being able to work,” he says. “Someone with a mild need doesn’t necessarily require the full health and social care aspect; and if you have the right health and safety processes in place, they’ve been trained properly and the right signs are up – you might have to make a few workplace adjustments – I think there is scope for many private sector businesses to employ more people with learning and/or physical disabilities.”
Through the parent charity, Colebridge Trust operates an Employment Skills team that works with long-term unemployed people to help them secure employment. This again includes those with disabilities or learning difficulties, with the latter sometimes only diagnosed in adulthood. The team works closes with Colebridge Enterprises, providing employability training, health and wellbeing interventions and job application support.
“A lot of the people we have taken on at Colebridge Assembly go on to get long-term employment in organisations such as Birmingham Airport, DHL, Ocado and Amey,” says Chet.
Colebridge Enterprises also do short burst training programmes with two local special schools that gives pupils meaningful experience of a working environment. “It shows them that there is further opportunity beyond education,” Chet adds.
The enterprise also offers places to people without disabilities, who have perhaps not completed academic qualifications, and works with training organisations to provide level 2 and level 3 training in subjects such as warehousing and storage. With the right level of mentoring, many of these people also secure employment.
Integrated workforce
Colebridge Enterprises prides itself on its integrated workforce and how people – disabled or non-disabled – work together.
“We don’t distinguish, where possible, between learning disabled and other staff,” says Chet. “All responsibilities are shared and when we do training, it is adapted so it can be understood by everybody.”
The same goes for team events, he adds. “Everyone is invited when we have events, whether they are a volunteer or permanent member of staff.
“There are some good strong friendships between people of all abilities within the industrial unit. Some people have been there for more than 10 years and have got to know each other well. “Newcomers are also made to feel very welcome. They socialise outside of work too, perhaps to more of a level and with a more diverse friendship base than they would in a daycare or care setting.”
Don’t underestimate
Chet says that employers shouldn’t underestimate what people with physical and/or learning disabilities can do. “They are very valuable, loyal team members who give you the quality and consistency in exchange for the opportunity to work for you,” he says. “We have some star performers here who work at speed, especially at things like picking and packing. You show them how to do something and off they will go and most can work quicker than people without a disability. Through their attitude to work they regularly lift the mood of the people around them.”
He adds that it is the role of any good employer to know what an employee’s limitations are or any difficulties they may have, whether they have disabilities or not, so they can ensure the person works to their potential.
“If you just see them as another potential employee, that’s fine. If you throw up barriers like ‘we’re not ready or suitably equipped to employ a disabled person’ then it’s not the right environment and you need to move on and progress your outlook as an employer to be able to offer those opportunities.
“Diversity in the workplace is absolutely the right thing to do if we want to change people’s perceptions of disability. By mixing people up, they get a better appreciation of the challenges that other people overcome and, in my experience, has led to a productive team, who support each other and who work with a smile on their faces.”