More employers should become ‘disability confident', the disability employment service provider Remploy urges.
Remploy called on employers to increase the number of disabled people in work as it highlighted its backing for the government's Disability Confident campaign which aims to change employer attitudes towards employed disabled people.
The call also marked today's International Day of Disabled People (IDDP).
Remploy employment services director Beth Carruthers said current employment rates for disabled people stood at around 49% compared to 77% for non-disabled people.
"Many employers understand that employing disabled people delivers real social and economic value for business. However, for those who still believe that it is simply too difficult, our aim is to help them remove barriers, increase understanding and ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise aspirations," she said.
"International Day of Disabled People is celebrated all over the world and is dedicated to promoting the abilities of disabled people. There couldn't be a more appropriate time to build upon the Government's employer campaign to spread the message about ‘Disability Confident'. Equality in the workplace is good for disabled people and good for business. But it's also good for the country as a whole."
Carruthers added: "If disabled people's employment rate matched that of the rest of the population an extra two million people would be in work."
Remploy has also launched an online quiz which seeks to further build disability confidence, while also identifying areas where it can help employers develop skills and understanding of disability employment.
