Employment
The disability employment gap persists at around 30%. We know that for some impairment groups such as people with learning disabilities, autistic people and blind people, employment rates are far lower. Specific support for Disabled people to enter employment is inadequate and insufficiently targeted.
Disabled people face disproportionate levels of discrimination in the workplace, are less able to access transport to work, and employers often fail to meet their legal duties to implement reasonable adjustments. When in work, Disabled people experience a 17.2% disability pay gap. This has grown from 16.5% last year, and is higher for Disabled women at 35%.
The Access to Work Scheme has backlogs that are negatively affecting Disabled people entering work or progressing within it.
The Government must increase targeted support to Disabled people seeking work, improve the Access to Work Scheme, make flexible working the norm and introduce mandatory disability employment monitoring. The recommendations put forward by the Disability Employment Charter must be delivered.
Sources:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2022/november/tuc-report-exposes-disability-pay-gap
