Nearly eight in 10 small employers in the UK said making adjustments for their disabled staff has been easy, according to a government survey.
Only 27% said their reason for changing staff policy was that the law now requires it, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) research shows.
The survey of 1,002 organisations across the UK assessed employers’ awareness of and responses to their new obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
It found that awareness of the Act has risen among small employers from 58% to 63%, with 17% of respondents being aware of the DDA by name and 74% of being generally aware of the legislation.
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In 2003, only 4% of respondents knew of the DDA by name, and 59% were generally aware of legislation relating to employment and disability.
The survey also found that 25% of small businesses now have a written policy for disabled people. But when explored in more depth, the policy isn’t always fully worked through in practice and detail.
