Clearview National August 2016 - Issue 177 | Page 50

BUSINESSNEWS

INEQUITY IN
EMPLOYMENT
FOR DISABLED
PEOPLE
»»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 and concerns about
making inappropriate comments or actions,
according to new research.
The findings were revealed as part of a
survey of a thousand businesses* to coincide
with the launch of Purple, a new not-forprofit organisation dedicated to improving
employment opportunities for disabled people
by supporting both business and individual.
INTERVIEW FEARS
Purple carried out the research to determine
the current barriers for business in employing
disabled workers and found that one in
five business owners and hiring managers
(22 per cent) admit they are worried about
interviewing someone with a disability in case
they do or say the wrong thing. Fears include
using the incorrect terminology (32 per cent)
and not knowing whether they should help
with things such as opening doors or pulling
out chairs (38 per cent). One in five employers
(21 per cent) said falling foul of discrimination
law was a real concern. The findings also
revealed almost half of all employers (43 per
cent) expect disabilities to be disclosed on an
applicant’s CV prior to interview, despite there
being no legal obligation to do so.
BEHIND ON WELLBEING
STANDARDS
Disabled people already fall significantly
behind the rest of the population when it comes
to the majority of wellbeing standards. Of the
UK’s 11.5 million disabled people, just 49 per
cent are currently in work, compared to 82 per
cent of non-disabled people. Daily living costs
are on average 25 per cent higher than for nondisabled[i] people and disabled people are twice
as likely to live in poverty[ii].
According to Purple, this latest research
suggests misconceptions and prejudices are
preventing disabled people from finding
employment, with many being squeezed out
of the job market at the first hurdle, regardless
of professional ability.

50 » AUG 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

‘it isn’t disability
that’s the barrier to
finding employment,
but the worries and
misconceptions of business
owners themselves’
MISSING OUT ON TALENT
The Chief Executive of Purple is Mike
Adams. In 2013 he chaired the national
Access to Work Expert Advisory Panel, which
produced over 20 recommendations to
modernise the Government’s flagship disability
employment programme.
His previous