Despite more than 15% of disabled people holding a bachelor’s degree, the disability employment gap still remains. You’re nearly as likely to be unemployed as employed if you’re disabled. It’s a talent pool that has been left unexplored by employers thus far, and it’s unsurprising. A lot of current recruitment tools are inaccessible.  To help you start your journey, we’ve gathered together five key places you can find disabled talent.  Here’s where to connect with disabled talent online.  1. Evenbreak  Founded in 2011, Evenbreak advocates for the creation of an inclusi ..read more

While the contribution disabled people make in the workplace is increasingly valued by UK employers, the disability employment gap remains stubbornly high. Increasing the number of disabled people in employment has wide reaching benefits for businesses, disabled individuals and the economy. But, according to Disability Rights UK (1), as few as 13% of businesses think they are doing enough to increase the number of disabled people they employ (DRUK).  These concerns are shared by many disabled people, who report experiencing long job hunts and negative attitudes when searching for work. So ..read more

Conservative estimates suggest that at least 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic, but the true number is likely to be far higher given significant gender, age and ethnic disparities in diagnosis. Only around 22% of autistic people are in any kind of paid employment – the lowest employment rate of any disability type. This represents a huge pool of untapped talent. Like anyone else, autistic people can bring a huge range of skills to any workplace. Businesses can also benefit from increased diversity in thinking styles, talents and approaches to improve their services and performance. Making ..read more

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating, incurable, anxiety-related condition. It’s crucial to understand that the way OCD manifests is not set in stone. So, the following list gives you an idea of common ‘types’ of OCD but it is in no way a checklist to be used to decide if someone does or does not have OCD.  Common subtypes identified by OCDuk include Checking Contamination / Mental Contamination Symmetry and ordering Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts Hoarding OCD is a complex disorder, throughout the article are some links to further reliable resources that can ..read more

Access to Work is DWP’s best-kept secret and can have a huge impact on employees and the organisations in which they work.  Your organisation could be saving mega money, whilst boosting retention and supporting colleagues.  Here’s everything you need to know! What is Access to Work?  Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support grant that supports disabled people to start - and stay in - work.  Grants can be used for various things including support workers, special aids and equipment, and ‘adaptions to premises’ (more on this below), and the annual grant can b ..read more

Dyspraxia is a lifelong neurological condition that primarily affects motor function. By the time a person with dyspraxia is old enough to be employed, they have likely already experienced a lifetime of overcoming challenges, from being persistent when learning new things, to finding new ways of adapting to situations by thinking outside of the box. Any task that requires the mind-body mechanism, others may take for granted. Everyday tasks such as eating, cooking, cleaning, getting dressed, organising, processing and verbalising thoughts, following instructions, retaining information, followin ..read more

We're not always aware of when our unconscious bias takes the steering wheel, hence the term 'unconscious'. But that doesn't necessarily mean we're passengers, passive to the thoughts or actions we might have or do outside of our conscious control.  It's important to remember that these associations don't arise from nowhere. They're fundamentally informed by the myths and stereotypes born out of societal influences, and the systems in place to uphold these. In regard to disability, the myths and stereotypes are beyond harmful, and challenging these is not only a step towards a more inclus ..read more

Theatre as an art form is incredibly powerful. Not only can it provide a means of escape, but it can also be a hugely effective learning tool that can spark real change in society. Theatre is reactive to society. Society is reactive to the theatre.  The theatre as an industry also employs and provides for a vast pool of people. From actors to producers to lighting designers to individual audience members. Currently, the theatre industry is simply not accessible for almost one in four of us in the UK who identify as disabled. A group of people dressed in black, stood on a black stage faci ..read more

This article was originally posted on our sister-site, the SIC Learning Hub. Sol Woodroffe is a severely sight impaired theatre-maker from Bristol who is part of theatre company Coin Toss Collective. We sat down with them for chat about their career experience in the theatre industry so far. A headshot of Sol Woodroffe. They are a white person with short blonde hair. They are wearing a grey turtle neck jumper and glasses, and are smiling at the camera. Why did you choose the career that you did? I love performing and using my body at work but I also wanted my work to be intellectually stimula ..read more

This article was originally posted on our sister site, The SIC Learning Hub. Dee Smith is an Actress, model and writer living with Friedreichs Ataxia. We sat down with her for a chat in the lead up to her debut at London Fashion Week for the adaptive fashion brand Unhidden! View this post on Instagram A post shared by ?????? ????????? ????? (@dee_smithxoxo) Tell us a little bit about yourself.  I’m Dee. I’m 25 with a rare disease called Friedreichs Ataxia (FA) (Think like MS but slower). I’m a creative, and have been since before my disability. Since a young age, I’ve done acting, writin ..read more