Labour MP Kate Green is calling for more employers to help in closing the employment gap for people with disabilities.
The MP for Stretford and Urmston, in Manchester, said the difference between the employment rate for disabled and non-disabled people stands at more than 30 per cent.
Kate Green, who believes more must be done to close the disability employment gap
She said people with disabilities see their self-esteem, economic prospects and opportunities for socialising suffer untold damage by not working.
Greatest battle
And those with learning disabilities face the greatest battle of all, as fewer than a quarter have a job.
Meanwhile, she said that employers can benefit by employing disabled people. She had personal experience of the benefits of hiring disabled people within her own staff.
Green wrote on political news website PoliticsHome about the harm that joblessness does to people with learning disabilities.
Self-esteeem and social engagement
“It not only damages them economically,” she said, “it harms their self-esteem, and excludes them from the social engagement that so many of us find at work.
“But despite numerous government initiatives, and the efforts of some excellent charities, the support needs of those with learning disabilities to prepare for and find work are too often overlooked.”
Green wrote of attending an event run by Disability Confident. This is a Government scheme that aims to help employers recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions.
She said the event led to her discovering how special school teachers struggle to find work experience for students.
This was a “wake-up call”, she said, and she began offering students with learning disabilities work experience.
Employment benefits
The MP said she has since welcomed dozens of special needs students. The experience had enabled them to become “more independent”, “confident”, and go on to further study or work, she said.
One student completed a placement at her Westminster office.
The MP believes she and her staff also benefited, as the experience made them more imaginative and improved their communication skills.
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said 973,000 more disabled people are working now compared to five years ago.
Disability Confident
The DWP works closely with employers through its Disability Confident scheme to help ensure those with learning disabilities can “thrive in the workplace”, added the spokesperson.
Access the Disability Confident scheme by clicking here.
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Published: 10 December 2018
