The government has announced extra funding to support employers who provide extra employment support for disabled workers.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires all businesses to provide facilities for disabled people. These include ramps for wheelchair access and making sure that doorways are wide enough for wheelchairs. Additionally, employers can display large safety signs that can be seen by partially-sighted people.
From 2019, businesses can receive a grant of £5,000 per year for each employee that is employed in a Work Choice Protected Place, which are workplaces that go beyond the minimum required for DDA compliance. Workplaces that qualify under this scheme offer extra supervision for disabled staff, have additional HR support, use job coaches and have aides and adaptations for disabled workers.
The grant is available for existing employees and to help employers recruit more disabled people. It is expected that over 2,000 disabled people will be helped by the scheme in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Sarah Newton, the Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health, said:
“We’re committed to ensuring that disabled people have the necessary support to thrive in the workplace.”
The Supported Business Alliance and the British Association of Supported Employment are working on a new quality mark for supported businesses that is part of their programme to secure employment prospects for thousands of disabled workers.
The Supported Business Alliance Chair, Martin Davies said:
"We’re committed to supporting the government getting more disabled people into sustainable employment and ensuring the supported business sector can flourish.”
The funding will come into effect from April 2019 to coincide with the end of the Work Choice employment programme.
