Enabling disabled people to thrive at work

Disabled people face significant challenges in participating, volunteering and working in sport and physical activity due to financial, physical, psychological and structural barriers.

This data has inspired a partnership programme called Recover and Reinvent between Sport for Confidence (SfC) and Activity Alliance (AA) designed to promote roles enabling people with lived experience to work in the sector.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions, in 2023 the employment rate of disabled people was 53%, compared to 82% of non-disabled people – a gap representing a difference of over two million individuals.

And disability charity Scope says that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed, with jobseekers often facing barriers at every stage of the employment ladder.

Many employers have not seriously considered the inclusivity of their workplaces and, as a result, biases or misconceptions – such as believing it’s too difficult, risky or expensive to hire disabled individuals – remain widespread.

Sharing my experience

These attitudes impact disabled jobseekers’ ability to apply and get into work every day, plus they can also create inaccessible workplaces, so this problem needs to be addressed.

I am proud to contribute to the Recover and Reinvent partnership, which works to foster positive change because for many of us involved, discrimination is not theoretical – it is lived and deeply felt.
 

In my experience a failure to make reasonable adjustments meant my health constantly worsened – I would burn out, end up bed-bound or in hospital, recover and return, only for it to happen all over again.

The pressure to turn up to work every day despite the pain, fatigue, mental strain and sense of failure I felt was intense and overwhelming. 

This negative cycle eventually reduced my capacity to stay in long-term stable employment despite all the years of training and dedication to my profession, which ended in my career and purpose in life being taken away from me.

The lack of flexibility in many professions exacerbates these challenges, which have also been further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

I was expected to use my planning and preparation time (which is time given to teachers to allow them time away from classroom delivery to do planning, preparation and assessment-based work each week) to attend hospital appointments and had to cancel many others because they didn’t ‘fit’ within the timetable and working hours.

As a result I missed treatments and my mental health spiralled, leading to a five-week hospital stay and recovery that meant I was unable to leave the house by myself for seven years let alone consider employment.

Finding solutions together 

So the solution is clear: workplaces must adapt to ensure equal opportunities for all current or future employees.

Change is needed across the board, making job advertisements, application processes and interview practices accessible to disabled individuals.

We need to support candidates through often rigid recruitment systems to foster experiences where people feel safe and supported.

For example, in my recent interview for the position on the Recovery and Reinvent Programme I felt much safer knowing that my lived experience would be considered a strength rather than a weakness or an obstacle to being able to do the job.

Potential employers may offer reasonable adjustments for application and interviews, but are these being communicated effectively to the 10 million working-age disabled people in the UK?

Simple measures can make a big difference.

For me, it was helpful to be able to bring my personal assistant to the interview without feeling self-conscious about it.

And for my personal assistant it was great having a place to wait and to be welcomed by the interview panel and provided with a drink.

This adjustment allowed me to focus on my interview with reduced anxiety levels.

Employers face challenges in integrating disabled people into the workplace, but these are not excuses.

Barriers like inaccessible environments, inadequate adjustments, biases and a lack of understanding must be addressed.

Talent assessment organisation Chally published an inclusion quote that I really relate to:

 “The workplace is one of the best scenarios where these differences can engage, support, challenge, and inspire curiosity. Championing diversity in an organisation leads to better outcomes and greater success for individuals and teams.”

Through our partnership we are collaborating with many national partners to reduce inequalities for disabled people to challenge organisations, partners, employers and individuals to bring about lasting societal change.

And we need to acknowledge and work against negative attitudes towards disability as these disempower individuals and fuel social exclusion.

Empowered by our lived experiences, occupational therapists and peer support workers working with the sport and physical activity sector are essential to the success of the programme.

Together, we aim to create a network of individuals who will enhance opportunities for disabled people to engage in physical activity, sports, volunteering  and employment.

If you share our passion and values, please get in touch and share your experiences (good or bad) because both will help us grow.

Let’s learn together, grow together and create opportunities that foster belonging among disabled people.