The Disability Employment Gap – A Closer Look

This blog sheds light on the gap in work opportunity for the disabled population. By exploring how:

- Workplaces often fall short in recruiting and promoting disabled workers, and

- They unwittingly contribute to the injustice imposed on the disabled population. 

EMPLOYMENT 

The low employment rate of disabled people is a human rights issue, which leads to a higher likelihood that disabled individuals struggle to secure employment and face extended periods of unemployment. The scope of the disabled population is larger than commonly thought. For instance, in a company of 1,000 employees, roughly one in ten, or 100 workers, may have impairments, whether they identify as disabled or not. This figure is significantly greater than the number of individuals parked in the few accessible bays outside the building. However, many people underestimate the size and diversity of the disabled population as a whole. Consequently, they tend to underestimate the extent of the problem and the cost of the disability employment gap to both the industry and society.

Clearly, the issue goes beyond the occasional lack of personal fit. Effective inclusive practices remain inconsistent, partly due to the diversity of impairments. While most differences have likely found accommodations in some form, overall inclusive practices are not yet a reality that disabled professionals can take for granted. Organisations and institutions often serve as sources of injustice, as disabled workers possess no less experience, skill, or wisdom than their non-disabled colleagues. However, they encounter far more barriers than most employers imagine. Many depend on organisations willing to take action to address the disadvantages they face. For business leaders, the challenge is to align organisational change to benefit both disabled individuals and the broader working community.

Culture Shock

• The unemployment rate is 1 in 4, which drops substantially for people with learning disabilities, compared to 1 in 10 for others.

• Fewer than 1 in 10 disabled individuals are currently employed, in contrast to 1 in 10 non-disabled people. This disparity has repercussions extending beyond finances, affecting well-being, self-esteem, relationships, and health.

• An astonishing 86% of all disabled people in the UK acquire their disability during the course of their working lives.

• The employment rate for disabled people stands at 45.4%, while non-disabled individuals have an employment rate of 81.2%, resulting in a substantial gap of 35.8 percentage points.

Why Being Seen at Work Matters

Efforts have frequently focused on accommodating impairments, with training solutions targeting frontline staff, while senior leadership teams have received less attention. Understandably, this has led to resistance from workers who felt overwhelmed by the amount they needed to learn. Moreover, without support from decision-makers, there has been minimal funding for strategy implementation. Additionally, it seems that disability training, when provided, often receives less time and attendance compared to other equality strands. This poses a challenge, as professionals realize the depth and breadth of knowledge required to address these issues. Many now recognize that without the backing of senior management, leadership teams, and boards, strategies often fail to align and achieve the necessary changes. Time-consuming and costly individual-level adjustments rarely result in significant departmental transformations within a company's purpose. Therefore, viewed in this way, few organizations do nothing, most take some action, and many could do more.

The net result is that few do nothing, most do something, and far more could make better use of what can and is being done together.

The importance of being visible at work lies in creating clear boundaries between private and public discourse, dispelling myths and uncertainties about disability, and fostering inclusivity. In the workplace, error is rarely as problematic as silence. People are generally flexible and understanding when they make an effort to use mindful language. However, in public documents and within organisations, terminology becomes far more critical, as it shapes the culture and values of an organization. Therefore, being seen at work and fostering open discussions about disability is pivotal in bridging the gap and promoting a culture of inclusivity.