Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

ApprenticeshipsEquality, diversity and inclusionDisabilityLatest NewsNeurodiversity

Apprenticeship provider websites fail to cater for neurodiverse

by Adam McCulloch 11 May 2021
by Adam McCulloch 11 May 2021 Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock

A new study has found that a third of the UK’s top 50 apprenticeship providers have failed to publish an accessibility statement on their website and are not hitting accessibility standards designed to make the schemes inclusive to neurodivergent learners.

According to the investigation, which was carried out by Cognassist, 33% of providers have failed to publish an accessibility statement on their website, which could be deterring neurodivergent talent from applying for an apprenticeship.

This is despite new regulations that stipulate public sector organisations have a duty to ensure websites and apps meet accessibility requirements by 21 June 2021.

Cognassist reported that where an accessibility statement was missing, so too were screen reader functions and the ability to access documents in alternative formats in 100% of cases. Similarly, these companies displayed no mention of neurodiversity support tools and no representation of neurodivergent learner success.

Neurodiversity and apprenticeships latest

Flexible apprenticeships consultation launched

How to be more inclusive of staff with ADHD

Why a promotion can be a nightmare for the neurodiverse

Neurodiversity: the impact of lockdown and social isolation

Neurodiversity and performance: what employers need to know

The study found that public sector organisations had followed the regulations but private sector organisations had by and large not followed suit.

Best practice parameters, including overall vision of the company, were taken into consideration by the study. These were comprised of declarations of accessibility, diversity and inclusion statements and declaration of being disability confident – user experience and awareness, and scored each provider based on the number of best practice tools included within their online application process.

PwC and Unilever were found have the most tools included as best practice, with others such as Leeds City Council and HMRC also ranking highly by this measure.

Chris Quickfall, founder and CEO of Cognassist, said the company’s research indicated that one in three learners had a learning difficulty, many of which can be hidden and remain unsupported. He added: “With this in mind, it’s crucial that apprenticeship providers continuously assess their application journeys and make improvements in line with best practice and government regulations.

“Looking into requirements and developing awareness of the many difficulties that neurodivergent learners come across when it comes to accessibility in education and further education is the first step in the journey.

“From helping and supporting over 100,000 learners and mapping cognition we have evidence to show that no two brains are the same, and so ‘neurotypical’ individuals are incredibly rare. As such, considering accessibility for all types of brains is more important than people might think.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Attracting neurodiverse talent can also be beneficial to businesses. We’re all aware of the advantages that come with diversity of thought, so making a concerted effort to improve accessibility online and otherwise will encourage more diverse talent to apply. We need to continue shifting the conversation more towards celebration of neurodiversity and difference as part of our growth as a society.”

D&I opportunities currently on PT Jobs

More D&I jobs

Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch first worked for Personnel Today magazine in the early 1990s as a sub editor. He rejoined Personnel Today as a writer in 2017, covering all aspects of HR but with a special interest in diversity, social mobility and industrial relations. He has ventured beyond the HR realm to work as a freelance writer and production editor in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He is also the author of KentWalksNearLondon. Adam first became interested in industrial relations after witnessing an exchange between Arthur Scargill and National Coal Board chairman Ian McGregor in 1984, while working as a temp in facilities at the NCB, carrying extra chairs into a conference room!

previous post
Police to have access to trauma support dogs
next post
Employees’ views not sought over return to office

You may also like

Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

21 May 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

Redefining leadership: From competence to inclusion

21 May 2025

Pay awards in real terms could fall for...

21 May 2025

Ryanair demands flight attendants pay back salary increase

21 May 2025

Consultation launched after Supreme Court ‘sex’ ruling

20 May 2025

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Black security manager awarded £360k after decade of...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

UK and EU agree to collaborate on ‘youth...

19 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+