This year marks a decade of which the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative have been helping to champion disability confident recruitment. This is a government scheme designed to help encourage more employers to recruit and retain disabled employees to help create a more inclusive work forced. It also includes those with a variety of health conditions which may inhibit their ability to carry out work related tasks. As part of this mile stone event, an invitation only event is being put on at the House Of Lords in December. This will help to recognise and reward the valuable work which is being done by disabled people as well as honour the progress made by past winners of the many awards which will be handed out.
The event is being sponsored by DWF, Guidant Global, Saxton Bampfylde and Vercida and will bring together the leading voices on disability recruitment to help reflect the way the recruitment industry has performed over the past years as well as set new standards which will have to be met in order to retain an inclusive atmosphere. There will be several keynote speakers include Kate Nash, OBE, Founder of Purple Space and an early supporter of the RIDI Awards. Nash will reflect on RIDI’s journey over the past decade and highlight why disability-confident recruitment must remain a strategic priority for the staffing sector.
Alongside Nash, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP will also be speaking, sharing the latest on the Government’s strategy for supporting the disabled into employment and how it is helping remove barriers for people at work.
Kate Headley, Founder of RIDI and CEO of the Clear Company, commented:
“I’m delighted to be marking this incredible milestone with RIDI. Over the years, we have witnessed truly inspiring examples of recruiters demonstrating exceptional commitment to disability inclusion in hiring practices. As we reflect on past RIDI Award winners and shortlisted nominees, it is clear that their dedication to becoming disability confident has not only deepened over time, but has also led to meaningful outcomes – benefiting both individuals and the organisations they serve.
“However, more action is still needed. There are still far too many occasions where employers believe they have perfected inclusive recruitment by making one adjustment. The reality, however, paints a different picture. Being truly disability confident requires so much more. It’s not a simple tick box exercise and it needs a complete shift in mindsets and continuous accountability to make a real impact. I urge more recruiters and employers to get involved in the movement. For those who have previously celebrated success at the RIDI Awards, now is an opportune moment to take a leading role in shaping the next decade of disability confident recruitment. I look forward to welcoming everyone to the tenth anniversary awards next month.”
There were more working-age disabled people in employment in the last quarter of 2023 than a year before.
There were 5.53 million working-age disabled people in employment in October to December 2023, an increase of 338,000 from October to December 2022.
The employment rate of disabled people was 54.2%, up from 52.7% a year previously. The employment rate for people who are not disabled was 82.0%.
The UK has a big disability employment gap: Almost all (95%) of the working age disabled people who took part in our survey said their impairment has negatively affected their ability to do paid work. Three-quarters (77%) said it had ‘very negative’ impacts, and this proportion was considerably higher (87%) among survey respondents who had acquired their disability suddenly.
There are systemic barriers to employment for disabled people: Three-in-ten (29%) working age disabled people said they had been discriminated against by employers or potential employers because of their impairment. A quarter (26%) said that employers had failed to make reasonable adjustments for them.
Eight-in-ten (80%) disagreed that disabled people are given the employment opportunities they need to thrive in society. Seven-in ten (69%) disagreed that disabled people are given the educational opportunities they need to thrive in society.
