Erewash MP Maggie Throup joined charity Leonard Cheshire in support of their Untapped Talent campaign calling for better support for disabled people on their journey to employment and whilst in work.
Despite having the right skills and wanting to work many disabled people still face significant barriers when accessing employment.
Last year, research conducted by Leonard Cheshire revealed that one in five employers said they would be less likely to employ a disabled person. Of those line managers who are less likely to employ a disabled person, almost three in four would be concerned they would struggle to do the job.*
Maggie said:
“I am delighted to support Leonard Cheshire’s Untapped Talent campaign. Disabled people have a multitude of skills and are an asset to the workplace so it is vital that employers recognise the huge potential that they bring. We are fortunate here in Erewash to have many fantastic employers and I will be speaking to them to encourage them to create more accessible working environments and practices.”
Neil Heslop, Leonard Cheshire’s Chief Executive added:
‘‘Although progress has been made in some workplaces over recent decades, the disability employment gap remains unacceptably high and many disabled people who want to work are shut out of the workforce.
“There is still a long way to go to ensure that employers create inclusive opportunities for disabled people and do not overlook this source of talent.”
*ComRes interviewed 504 UK line managers responsible for or involved in the recruitment process online between 15-29th June 2017. Data were weighted to be nationally representative of employers by region, sector, and number of employees in the organisation. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
Full results can be found here: http://www.comresglobal.com/polls/%20leonard-cheshire-disability-employers-survey.