The Government has pledged to halve the disability employment gap by 2020. At the time of the Government’s recent Green Paper on work, health and disability, the disability employment rate was 48% while for non-disabled people it was 80%. Halving the gap therefore means increasing the disability employment rate to 64%. But the autism employment gap is even wider, with a recent National Autistic Society survey indicating that only 32% of autistic people are in some form of work – and just 16% in full time paid work.

The petition coincides with the end (last Friday) of the public consultation on Government proposals to improve the disability employment rate. The National Autistic Society says that autistic people can be a real asset to businesses and has warned the Government not to leave them behind.

More than 1 in 100 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum, including around 450,000 autistic people of working age. Being autistic means you see, hear and feel the world in a different, often more intense way from others. Autistic people often find social situations difficult, can struggle to process information quickly and may be highly sensitive to sound or light or smells.

This can make finding and staying in a job difficult. But the National Autistic Society says that many of these difficulties can be overcome when employers understand autism and make small adjustments to the interview process and workplace.

Cheryl Gillan, MP for Chesham and Amersham and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, said:

“I am proud to present this important petition to the Government.

“I’ve met so many talented autistic people who, despite their best efforts, feel locked out of work. With more understanding from employers and improved support, we can change this and they can make a huge contribution to our society and economy.

“I strongly urge the Government to remember this as they develop proposals to improve the disability employment rate. We need to give autistic people a chance.”

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said:

“Almost 30,000 people have sent the Government a powerful message, urging them to show leadership and close the autism employment gap once and for all – and to give autistic people the chances they deserve.

“A growing number of employers, like GCHQ and Microsoft, are actively looking to employ autistic people who can have strengths such as tenacity and thinking differently. But many businesses tell us they don’t know where to go for support and they’re worried about getting it wrong.

“The Government’s upcoming White Paper on improving the disability employment rate is an opportunity to open up the workplace for autistic people. They must listen to the voices of autistic people, including the 29,090 people who’ve signed our petition, and introduce autism-specific support to help autistic people to find and stay in work.

“Not all autistic people are able to work. But many are and are desperate to find a job which reflects their talent and interests. With a little understanding and small adjustments to the workplace, autistic adults can be a real asset to businesses across the UK.”

Arran Linton-Smith, 61, is a senior consultant in the construction industry and was one of the campaigners who delivered the petition to the Government.

Arran said:

“I’ve had a very bumpy career, holding a range of different jobs and struggling in a number of them.

“A turning point came five years years ago, when I was diagnosed as autistic. It took a while for me to accept the diagnosis but, when I did, all the problems I’d had in the workplace started making sense.

“I took the difficult decision to disclose this at work. To my surprise everyone was so understanding and people started to realise that my different way of seeing things was a huge asset − I was able to spot problems and come up with solutions that weren’t even being considered.

“While I’m now in a good position and feel respected I know that many autistic people aren’t so lucky. I feel I’ve got a duty to hold open the door to the next generation of autistic people, so I was proud to be involved in this campaign and to present this important petition to the Government.

“There’s a vast untapped pool of talented individuals out there who can help businesses and other employers become stronger and more competitive.”

For more information about the National Autistic Society, visit www.autism.org.uk.

Social care professional, Laura Johnson and performing arts teacher, Zoe Proctor, recently established Zebedee Management as they wanted to see better representation of people with disabilities within fashion, media and the arts. They are holding a series of photoshoots around Sheffield and Lincolnshire.

Laura said:

“Zebedee want to see more people with disabilities on television, in magazines, online and in films. We believe that people with many unique characteristics should have the same opportunities as ‘mainstream’ artists and we are working with people within the media and fashion industries to make this happen.

“The photo shoots will be fun and a great opportunity for those who take part to get a feel for the industry, and models will receive copies of their images. This will create a professional portfolio for fashion and media castings. Our February shoots have are already full with gorgeous child models, but we still have spaces for our April shoots”

Those interested should email zebedeemanagement@gmail.com with 3 or 4 clear photos (no hats or sunglasses), with contact details and a little bit about themselves. Further information about the photo shoot and booking models can be found on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/zebedeemanagement/.

National disability charity responds to new findings from the Centre for Social Justice, and calls for the Government to actively work with employers to promote disabled people.

New polling from the Centre for Social Justice showed that two thirds (63 per cent) of HR decision makers think there are barriers to hiring disabled people, and that only a third (33 per cent) have hired a person with a disability or mental health condition in the last year.

In response to these findings, the national disability charity, Sense, who’s Realising Aspirations for All report looks at the key issue of disability employment, calls on the Government to do more to work with employers and promote disabled people as valuable employees.

Kate Fitch, Head of Policy and Campaign, said:

“The Centre for Social Justice’s polling once again highlights the scale of the challenges facing disabled people as they look to secure and remain in employment.

Disabled people face many barriers to work, including negative employer attitudes, with employers failing to make essential adjustments needed for disabled people to perform their roles successfully, isolation in the workplace, a lack of career progression, and concerning issues with receiving the right support from Access to Work.

We are supportive of the Government’s focus on improving access to employment for disabled people, and welcome the Improving Lives: Work, Health and Disability Green Paper.

Many disabled people want to be in employment, and Sense has been working with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that their voices are heard directly by government.

However, this polling shows that there is clearly still a great deal to do when it comes to employer attitudes. Sense is calling on the Government to work with businesses across the country to make the positive case for disabled people as valuable employees.

We want to see the Government develop and implement a coordinated campaign to raise employers’ awareness of the abilities and potential of disabled people, including those with complex needs.”

For more information www.sense.org.uk.

The Remploy Employee Benefit Trust with Cancer Research

Staff of Remploy, the disability employment specialists, have made a £50,000 donation to Cancer Research UK to show their support and help beat over 200 types of cancer.

Remploy left government ownership in April 2015 with employees owning a 30% stake in the company which is held in an Employee Benefit Trust (EBT). As shareholders they choose to use a proportion of the profits to help good causes in line with Remploy’s mission and values.

The Trust is also building a new partnership with Cancer Research UK which will provide opportunities for Remploy staff to volunteer in charity shops across the UK, at events and for disabled jobseekers to work with the national charity.

A spokesperson for the Employee Benefit Trust said:

“We’re delighted to present £50,000 to Cancer Research UK and to work closely with them in the future. They are a very worthy cause and we look forward to working with them as our charity of the year and on the exciting new partnership opportunities, which will help drive Remploy’s mission to transform society and the lives of disabled people.”

The new partnership will enable closer working between the two organisations, with work placement opportunities at the charity’s network of shops and events, knowledge sharing and sessions with a Cancer Research UK nurse. The aim is also to provide information packs about cancer to help jobseekers affected by the disease who Remploy are helping to find a job.

Tracey Jones, Local Fundraising Manager at Cancer Research UK said: “We are extremely grateful and happy that Remploy have chosen Cancer Research UK  to be their Charity Partner. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to make this happen. All funds raised will go towards the charity’s research to beat over 200 types of cancer, helping to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

She added:

“Cancer Research UK receives no Government funding for its groundbreaking research.  So funds raised through supporters like Remploy and their customers is crucial to the work of doctors, nurses and scientists who work day and night to fight cancer on all fronts.”

Cancer Research UK support research into all types of cancer, across all age groups and focus their efforts in four key areas – working to help prevent cancer, diagnose it earlier, develop new treatments and optimise current treatments by personalising them and making them even more effective. Their ambition is see three-quarters of people surviving the disease within the next 20 years.

Gareth Parry, Chief Executive of Remploy said:

“EBT donations are selected by our employees to benefit charities and organisations close to their heart. Many of our employees will have been touched by cancer or know someone who has. £50,000 is a significant donation, made possible thanks to the participation and buy-in from employees, it will hopefully help in the fight against this horrible disease.”

Many local good causes have already benefitted from grants made by Remploy employees this year, including When you wish upon a Star, Bristol based food bank Fareshare, Ystrad Recycling, Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and Wenlo Riding for the Disabled.

For more information about Remploy please visit, www.remploy.co.uk.

When: Friday 31 March

Time: 10am-3pm

Where: Ecology Pavilion, Bow, London, E3 5TW

What is the Job Information Day?

Now in its third year, the Tower Project Job Information Day is an event aimed at enabling young people with learning difficulties and autism living in the Tower Hamlets area a chance to make an informed choice at the type of career they want to focus on where previously the decision hasn’t been well informed.

With a wide array of companies expected to be there the Tower Project are hoping to become the leading catalyst for running such events aimed at young people with special educational needs.

There will also be visitors from across the country who are either councillors or specialise in disability services in their particular area so they can become inspired by the work the Tower Project do.

The Tower Project formed three years ago, it has doubled in size each year meaning that this year they are expecting 150 young people to attend the event from over 20 schools and colleges in the Tower Hamlets area after gaining local authority support earlier this year, as it’s somewhat of a unique event in the East London area.

Tower Project – what they do?

Having successfully been delivering their services for a number of years now, the Tower Project’s main aim is to give young people with learning difficulties a voice and the support they need in order to live a life they may otherwise not have been able to have.

Split into eight sectors being:

• Autism Services
• Children’s Services
• Job Enterprise and Training
• Learning Disability Services
• Youth and Leisure Services
• Community Services
• Social Enterprise
• Supported Living

The Tower Project offers a wide range of support to a wide variety of young people which has meant that they have become an award winning charity and service provider for children with a learning disability, sensory disability, autism, physical disability or health related issue.

For more information about the services offered please visit: http://towerproject.org.uk/.

JET

This event will be focussing on the Tower Project Job Enterprise and Training (JET) sector which was set up in 2007 following the demand due to there being a lack of support for disabled people in Tower Hamlets receiving mainstream employment services.

Since then JET has grown due to the overwhelming demand opening up East London’s first dedicated Disability Employment and Training Hub offering an in-house team of specialist Disability Employment Advisors, Job Coaches and Vocational Tutors providing outstanding support and guidance to these young people.

JET has also successfully created 20 jobs for adults with learning disabilities focussing on Catering, Valeting and Web Design providing a vital pathway into paid mainstream employment as well as offering a School Programme working with local schools to support the young people with special educational needs attending the same support and guidance. Furthering on from this JET also have a Supported Internship study programme advocated by the Government for people aged 16-24 with learning disabilities and are typically delivered by schools and colleges in partnership with supported employment services like JET.

For further information on this event please contact Guy either through email guy.humphreys@towerproject.org.uk or telephone 020 8980 3500.

The Chief Executive of not-for-profit organisation Purple says the Government’s re-launch of its Disability Confident scheme is providing businesses with the opportunity to relook at disability differently and help them access the disability market, or ‘Purple Pound’, which is worth £212bn a year to the UK.

The Disability Confident scheme aims to support the government’s overall strategy to reduce the disability employment gap. It has been running since 2013 and was re-launched by the minister for disabled people Penny Mordaunt MP last November.

However, ahead of the re-launch Purple carried out research revealing almost a third of businesses (29 per cent) are uncertain about how to become involved in the scheme while a further 30 per cent have not yet heard of it.

While the scheme has had some success before now with several hundred companies across the UK signing up to the initiative, Purple believes businesses require more practical advice and guidance to transform their workplaces. To support businesses achieve Disability Confident accreditation, and the commercial benefits of doing so, Purple has recently launched a bespoke offer into the marketplace.

Chief Executive of Purple, Mike Adams, said:

“It’s unacceptable that in 2016, being disabled makes you twice as likely to live in poverty. Just 49 per cent of the UK’s 11.5m disabled people are currently in work, compared to 82 per cent of non-disabled people. This has a real impact on the quality of life of disabled people, as well as on the British economy, which is providing financial support rather than receiving incoming funds through taxable earnings.

“Business is finally starting to realise the benefits of having a diverse workforce with the ‘Purple Pound’ in the UK worth £212bn a year. The re-launch of Disability Confident is a golden opportunity for business to become Purple and access this lucrative market through inclusive employment strategies.”

Purple’s research previously found almost half of UK businesses (45 per cent) are apprehensive about hiring someone with a disability because of fears they won’t be able to do the job.

It is now working with business to combat these misconceptions and develop inclusive employment strategies.

Purple also simultaneously works with disabled people offering employment support, as well as a specialist recruitment portal matching skilled disabled workers with employers. The organisation aims to help more than 20,000 disabled people to find permanent jobs over the next decade.

For more information on Purple and the research findings, or to download its Disability Confident brochure for business, go to www.wearepurple.org.uk.

Leroy Binns, Campaigns Assistant at Mencap

Today (21 December) the Department of Work and Pensions has announced plans to recruit disability champions in to key sectors of businesses, such as retail, hospitality and sport, to improve accessibility for disabled people in the UK.

Accessibility is a huge issue for people with a learning disability who can struggle to understand information when out in public. Despite rulings under the Equality Act 2010 many venues fail to meet the needs of the 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK.

Mencap respond to today’s announcement below.

Leroy Binns has a learning disability and works as a Campaigns Assistant at Mencap, said:

“I think having disability champions in businesses is a very good idea because people with a learning disability still find lots of places and businesses inaccessible because of negative attitudes from staff and the public.

“Sometimes when I’m out in shops or restaurants, staff can’t understand me and don’t make any effort to either, or they ignore me. I also get funny looks from staff and the public, and some people I know have been called names, such as the ‘R’ word as well. I think staff should have training on how to communicate with people with a learning disability and how they can help so that people feel like they are welcome.

“Large businesses and shops should also install Changing Places toilets so that people with profound and multiple disabilities and people less able to walk can use a toilet safely when they’re out and away from home.

“There is a lot of room for improvement in making things more accessible for people with a learning disability, and I think having champions will help businesses understand how to make people with a learning disability feel more included and welcome.”