They say the world of work is not a level playing field
Disabled people in the UK fear telling an employer about their impairment, a survey has found.
Almost half of the disabled people who took part in the study said they felt uncomfortable being honest about their condition to employers in fear of being treated differently.
The survey for disability charity Scope also found more than one in four disabled people believe they have missed out on being offered a job because of their condition or impairment.
A woman who applied for more than 100 jobs without success suddenly began being offered interviews after omitting information she was disabled in applications.
in missing meetings in parts of the building she could not reach. Instead she wore leg braces.
Scope chief executive, Mark Atkinson, said: “This report should be a wake-up call for businesses as it exposes the real challenges thousands of disabled workers face every day when trying to access the vital support they are entitled to.
“We need to drastically transform workplace culture so all employees are confident requesting support and can discuss their impairment or condition on their own terms.”
Employers who don’t make their workplace genuinely inclusive, he argues, will lose hugely valuable members of their team because they are unable to stay or progress in that job.
“We can and must solve this problem, but employers and the government must act now to ensure workplaces are truly inclusive and HR policies on equality aren’t just a document on a shelf.”
Emma Satyamurti, a partner in the employment law team at law firm Leigh Day, which sponsored the research, said: “This research clearly identifies the need for employers to understand the experiences of their disabled members of staff better and to create a culture where they feel safe to openly discuss their needs.
“All companies – large and small – should be taking steps to review and build on their practices and policies so disabled people are able to confidently access the right support to carry out their work and thrive in their careers.”
