A sector deal for disability: supporting employment and growing an industry

Our new report, co-authored with the University of Birmingham, argues that, as part of its efforts to close the disability employment gap, the government should now commit to a sector deal for disability as part of its emerging industrial strategy.

Despite a number of government-backed incentives for employers, still too few are aware of the benefits of employing someone with a disability; the pay gap between disabled and non-disabled people is widening; disabled pupils perform worse than their non-disabled peers and are nearly twice as likely to be NEET. The challenges disabled people face when attempting to enter the workplace are significant. As the government’s Improving Lives green paper makes clear, “there is a lack of practical support to help (disabled) people stay connected to work and get back to work. This has to change”.

While there are positive signs too, to meet the government’s aim of halving the disability employment gap by 2020, policy must change. The behaviour of employers and consumers must change. This report sets out a number of recommendations for central and local governments to help close the disability employment gap.