A disability, equality and diversity consultant says the government could have done more with its Disability Action Plan, which recently set out proposals to improve the lives of disabled people in the UK.
Interviewed by HR Magazine, Joanna Hurry commended the steps the proposal would take to improve the lives of disabled people, but said that it could have gone further to provide workplace support.
HR Magazine is known as the leading title for senior HR professionals and business leaders who want insight into and examples of high-performing, people-focussed organisation. Its journalists also interviewed other specialists in disability inclusion who said the new plan is a missed opportunity.
Hurry told the magazine that the Action Plan could have helped employers make their workplace more inclusive by investing in the Access to Work scheme, which supplies grants for people with a disability, neurodiversity or mental health condition to pay for equipment, travel costs or practical help at work.
She said: “Access to Work can support more employers establish procedures for providing reasonable accommodations, ensuring access to assistive technologies, and offering flexible work arrangements and support.”
Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum, added that the Action Plan missed the chance to reform Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to allow people to make a phased return to work.
She said: “The current all-or-nothing approach to SSP means that employees often feel forced to return to full hours before they are ready, which can then lead to further periods of sickness.”
Olga Kolade, employment and skills director at Business in the Community, told the magazine employers have a responsibility to remove barriers in recruiting and retaining disabled people in the workplace, independent of government guidelines.
She said: “Employers should listen to their disabled employees and make the necessary adjustments, such as physical adaptations to the workplace, additional support, or changes to working patterns, that will help disabled employees feel valued and supported at work.”
