North Swindon MP & former Minister for Disabled People, Justin Tomlinson, has re-affirmed his support for the government’s Disability Confident scheme at an in Parliament.
The Disability Confident campaign aims to debunk the myths around employing disabled people and encourage employers to take advantage of the wealth of talent available. The Government believes every disabled person who wants to work should be able to.
Disability Confident organisations play a leading role in changing attitudes for the better. They’re changing behaviour and cultures in their own businesses, networks and communities.
The scheme helps employers:
- draw from the widest possible pool of talent
- secure high quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working
- improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating that you treat all employees fairly
It also helps customers and other businesses identify those employers who are committed to equality in the workplace. The ‘Purple Pound’, representing the total annual net income after housing costs of households containing a disabled person, has been estimated at around £212 billion.
To date, more than 5,500 businesses, charities, local authorities & government departments have signed up to the scheme, and there are more close a million more disabled people in work today than there were in 2010.
During his time as the Minister for Disabled People, Justin brought the Disability Confident scheme to the fore; increasing the number of businesses signed-up to the scheme, reducing the disability employment gap, and highlighting that employing a person with a disability or a long term health condition benefits the business, the individual, and the economy.
The North Swindon MP also reformed the way the scheme engaged with businesses and disabled people by piloting a reverse jobs fair at the STEAM Museum. The event, which was attended by more than 70 major employers, saw businesses rather than jobseekers visiting stands run by organisations who provide specialist employment support for disabled people, including Pluss and Shaw Trust.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “Disability Confident is an important part of the Government’s work to reduce the disability employment and ensure that every disabled person who wants to work has the opportunity to do so. During my time as the Minister for Disabled People, I prioritised this campaign as by working with both employers and disabled jobseekers, we were able to significantly reduce the disability employment gap. My office is fully signed up to the scheme and I am looking to build on my reverse job fair to ensure more disabled people locally can enjoy employment that works for them.”
