Nine out of 10 employers may be breaking the law by discriminating against blind and partially sighted job-seekers, according to a new report published by the Royal National Institute of the Blind and Action for Blind People.
Forum Response: Royal National Institute for the Blind
Dr Philippa Simkiss, RNIB assistant director employment, said: "Ignorance and outdated attitudes are preventing blind and partially sighted people getting into work. It doesn't have to be this way. Blind and partially sighted people can excel in a range of jobs - we know of a chef, journalist, futures trader, solicitor, PR consultant, IT manager and business adviser to name but a few.
"Employers' attitudes need to undergo a sea-change to end this vicious circle of exclusion. We need employers to find out about the support available to them from government schemes such as Access to Work and from organisations like RNIB."
Forum Response: Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Tom Pey, director of policy at Guide Dogs', said: "We very much welcome this important report which highlights the discrimination blind and partially sighted people face at the hands of employers.
"We have been contacted by a number of guide dog owners with dreadful stories about their experiences. Whilst we provide guide dogs and other mobility services to provide greater independence for visually impaired people they are still facing discrimination which stops them from fully exercising this freedom.
"Currently 75 per cent of visually impaired people are unemployed and this is on a downward spiral so we very much welcome the efforts of RNIB and Action for Blind People to reverse this trend.
"Furthermore we are delighted with their efforts to further educate employers about blind and partially sighted people, which will go along way to helping improve the situation in the long term."
Forum Response: Disability Rights Commission
A spokesman for the DRC said: "The Disability Rights Commission welcomes the RNIB’s campaign to tackle the stereotypes and barriers that are holding blind and partially sighted people back from equal participation in employment and depriving business of a vast range of talent.
"Current unemployment levels among blind and partially sighted people are shocking and wholly unacceptable. The DRC is committed to breaking down the social, financial and attitudinal barriers to work and narrowing the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people. We will use the full range of our powers to help bring about change.
"Important new employment rights and duties come into force from October this year. The DRC will be investing heavily to enable employers to respond positively to the challenges of the new legislation so that disabled people can both secure and stay in work.
"We are also investing in preparation of the proposed new duty on the public sector to promote disability equality (to be included in a future Disability Bill). This we believe could act as a powerful lever for driving up employment levels for disabled people in the NHS, local government and a wide range of public bodies."
Forum Response: Shaw Trust
Tracey Proudlock, political affairs manager of the Shaw Trust said: "Shaw Trust is the largest UK provider of employment services for disabled people. Last year it found work for and supported over 7000 disabled people in their jobs throughout the UK and in 2004-05 this figure will rise to 11,000 people. Blind and partially sighted people make up an appreciable number of our clients who we support into work and our experience does mirror many of the RNIB and Action for Blind People concerns.
"The Disability Discrimination Act has helped to focus attention on the requirement for employers to demonstrate flexibility in their recruitment, management of staff and provision of reasonable adjustments; however this legislation alone will be insufficient. To over come negative assumptions and stereotypes we often find that the actual experience of working alongside disabled colleagues can itself break barriers. Shaw Trust therefore delivers a range of flexible job finding services introducing disabled people to potential employers.
"We support employers,both large and small in their recruitment of disabled people and it is true that many people we meet (both employers and disabled people) are unaware of government help in this area."
