The People Bulletin

The government has announced an independent review of specialist disability employment programmes. Liz Sayce, Chief Executive of RADAR, the UK’s largest disability campaigning organisation, is leading this review.  While it is still in its early stages with the closing date for evidence set for 28 February 2011, there are some emerging themes and questions the DWP is seeking views on: 

• Is the employment rate for disabled people the best measure of success? Are there any other measures you think are important?
• How can we raise aspirations, and increase opportunities for career development and progression?
• What can employers do to enable more disabled people to get, and keep, employment? And what support do employers need?
• What would make the set of government programmes (from the general Work Programme to more specialist programmes) as effective as possible? In particular, do you have ideas to enable the programmes to:
  • be highly personalised?
  • work well for people with all types of disability/health conditions?
  • work well with and for employers?
• How do you view the role of sheltered employment and specific workplaces, and specific training provision, for disabled people now and in the future? 

Comments should be sent to employmentsupport.review@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 

Myopic employers 

Taking one disability – sight loss – as an example, part of the problem lies in overcoming misconceptions of employers was highlighted at the recent Vision for Equality conference,  hosted by the charity Guide Dogs  on 19 January. 

Former UK Paralympian skier and Vision 2020 CEO Mike Brace OBE chaired the ‘Employment and life chances’ break-out session which revealed some of the barriers preventing blinded and partially sighted jobseekers finding paid work.  

 In the words of some of the delegates: 

“We need to help understand what perceptions employers have and the gap between these and the reality as most don’t realise that with technical assistance a blind and partially sighted person can bring significantly more value into the organisation than the cost of the equipment needed for their adjustments.”

“We are up against inertia, myths and misunderstandings. Most employers want to do the right thing but are afraid of doing it wrong and, rather than do it wrong they do nothing.  The reassurance has got to come from the government about benefits of employing a blind and partially sighted person so that employers understand that making employment accessible doesn’t need to cost a fortune.”

“One of the areas that seriously needs looking at is identifying what people who are blind and partially sighted can do in the workplace.  The workplace is becoming increasingly visual.  Work that used to be done by us is now done in the developing world or not done at all.  I think we need to identify core jobs – not to say ‘you are blind you have got to be a piano turner’ – to replace the ones we have lost.  We have lost typing, we have lost piano tuning and physiotherapy and this something the third sector could work with the government on to develop.”

www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/disability-employment-call-for-evidence.pdf

www.vision2020uk.org.uk