Nine-tenths of employers may be breaking the law by discriminating against blind and partially sighted people who are looking for work, according to a report launched by the RNIB on June 15. Beyond the Stereotypes, published to coincide with the launch of RNIB’s employment campaign Work Matters – Seeing the Potential of Workers with Sight Loss, finds that despite their ability to succeed in the workplace, three quarters of blind and partially sighted people remain jobless because of institutionalised discrimination. Contact Paul McDonald, RNIB on 020 7391 2223 (http://www.rnib.org.uk)
A less blinkered view
Somerfield announced on July 1 that it has agreed to send its national vacancies to Remploy, a government agency for getting the disabled into work. The supermarket chain has signed a national contract agreeing to guarantee interviews to disabled people and to consider making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to premises. Remploy will be responsible for job matching and will offer support at interviews, job coaching and ongoing support for successful applicants and managers. Contact Keren Cooksey, Somerfield on 0117 935 6604 (http://www.somerfield.co.uk)
New recruits
The Employers Forum on Disability has launched an e-recruitment guide to help London’s employers remove barriers that prevent disabled people from applying for jobs online, it was announced on June 30. Barrier-free E-recruitment: Recruiting Disabled People Online, produced with the support of the London Development Agency, also includes a website with advice for IT managers and website developers on how to target the disabled sector. Contact Caroline Leon, EFD on 020 7089 2480 (http://www.employers-forum.co.uk)
Leading the blind
UnumProvident, a leading disability insurer, announced on June 10 that it has produced a new guide to help advisors keep abreast with imminent changes to the disability Discrimination Act, as part of which employers must ensure that their employment practices are not discriminatory. Contact John Hutson, UnumProvident on 020 7841 5900 (http://www.unumprovident.co.uk)
Changes afoot
The UK government on July 15 announced changes to the Draft Disability Discrimination Bill following recommendations by a parliamentary committee. Significant legislative changes will:
l remove the requirement that mental illnesses must be clinically well recognised in order for sufferers to be protected
l amend the Blue Badge Parking Scheme to provide recognition for Blue Badge holders from other European countries
l ensure that there are sufficient powers in the DDA to enable the definition of disability to be amended should this prove necessary in the light of future evidence.
The legislation, which could be in force by 2006, will place a duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Contact DWP on 020 7238 0866 (http://www.dwp.gov.uk)
Within site
Tesco is the only one of the UK’s five leading supermarkets to have a website that meets the basic accessibility needs of disabled customers, according to an AbilityNet State of the eNation Report published in June. Tesco’s alternative website, easily accessible to people with a vision impairment, dyslexia or physical disability that makes mouse use difficult, received a four-star rating on AbilityNet’s five star scale. While none of the other websites pass even basic levels of accessibility, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Morrisons have however made a public commitment to accessibility. AbilityNet is a charity that brings the benefits of computer technology to adults and children with all types of disabilities. Contact Caroline Saint Freedman, AbilityNet on 01926 407425 (http://www.abilitynet.co.uk)
COMMENT:
Moves to merge existing equal opportunity commissions may dilute a strong focus on disability. But companies and some campaigners support the plan, which raises questions also about what human rights really mean in the corporate context.
August saw the end of consultation on the government’s plans for a new combined Commission for Equality and Human Rights. Highly controversial, the proposal marks the most radical change since the separate race and gender commissions (CRE and EOC) were set up in the 1970s, with the disability commission (DRC) more recently established in 2000.
The fundamental fear is that the merger will result in loss of focus, and it would be understandable if campaigners on disability – historically the ‘poor relation’ compared to the other equality issues – felt this most acutely. It is a growing complaint, for example, that disability issues in CSR reports are addressed much less frequently and then only as general statements of good intent, with little on actual performance.
However bodies such as the Employers Forum on Disability are clear in their support, saying that a single commission mirrors what is happening in companies who are developing internal diversity departments rather than single departments for each strand of diversity. They hope that the commission will provide them with a single authoritative voice and a one-stop shop for consistent guidance. We agree.
One opportunity for a common approach is in the area of customers, as distinct from the traditional focus on employment discrimination. Here recent legislation protects the rights of customers with a disability, better than on other equality issues, through the requirement for service providers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled customers in order to treat them equally. The next tranche of rules comes into force in October. Examples are induction loops or providing information in an accessible format. Such positive action is not required on race or gender, leaving it to individuals to complain if they are discriminated against.
But one area of concern is with ‘human rights’. The ostensible remit of the new CEHR extends to sexual orientation, religion and age. But confusion about what this means in practice for employees and customers is leading to calls for a new single Equalities Act. This mirrors the current international debate at the United Nations about the definition of human rights and what it means for companies. Definitely one to watch.
COMMENTS