Mick Dillon BArch Dip Arch PGDip Arch Reg

Mick Dillon BArch Dip. Arch PGDip. Arch Reg. Arch Chief Executive. Disability Awareness 17 th February 2015

Introduction and Welcomes What is Disability all about? Disability and the Workplace

What is Disability all about then? Can anyone define disability? “A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a persons ability to carry out normal day to day activities” Thesaurus definition of Disability Inability, incapability, incompetent Legal definition vs Society definition ”” ”” “you can’t do this” “you don’t looked disabled”

How many disabled people are there in Great Britain? (All ages) There are over 11 million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability. 2012 Labour Force Survey What % of disabled people (of working age) in Great Britain are unemployed? 56% of working-age disabled people are not in employment compared to 24% of working-age non-disabled people 16% of the working age population have declared they have a disability

Does disability affect educational opportunities? 6. 5% of working age non-disabled do not hold any formal qualification compared to 19. 2% of working age disabled people 28. 1% of working age non -disabled people hold degree-level qualifications compared to 14. 9% of working age disabled people 2012 Labour Force Survey Is disability an age related issue? Disability rises with age Around 6% of children are disabled, compared to 16% (2 m) of working age adults and 45% of adults over State Pension age What are the most commonly-reported impairments? mobility, lifting or carrying

Disability and the workplace Capability or Disability? Performance or absence issues? What’s the culture, attitude, need, risk and ambition of the Company? Do the right thing or the right thing to do? Take disability out of the equation, what does the issue look like now? Understanding staff environments away from the workplace

Disability and the Work Place. I’m an employer I want to recruit and retain the best quality staff When recruiting new staff, what does any employer need and hope for? Good knowledge, reliable, loyal, good time keeping, good customer focus, smart? Effective & efficient? Shall we say Employability?

What do we think are the key issues about employing disabled people? What are your concerns about retaining a member of staff who becomes disabled? Productivity and efficiency, absence, cost, image, medical appointments, time keeping, ability to travel, accessibility, impact on other staff?

Mick Dillon The Disability Resource Centre Poynters House, Poynters Road Dunstable, Beds. LU 5 4 TP Call: 01582 470900 Twitter: @Disability. Mick Website: www. drcbeds. org. uk Email: mickdillon@drcbeds. org. uk Registered Charity No 1041712 Our Patron: The Duke of Bedford