Employers
are much more likely to keep a person in a job if they become disabled, as
opposed to having a positive approach to hiring a disabled person, a trade
union has claimed.
A
disability audit, carried out by the Transport & General Workers’ Union
(T&G), found that almost half the UK’s workplaces do not have an equal
opportunities policy with a commitment to disabled people.
Only
14.5 per cent of businesses said they provided good access for disabled people.
The
research highlighted inaccessible buildings, heavy physical work, the need to
pass medicals, and particular barriers faced by disabled workers with mental
health problems.
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T&G
National organiser Diana Holland said: "We found that almost half of the
workplaces have a clear policy aimed at supporting any worker who becomes
disabled. However, only a handful had a positive policy aimed at recruiting
disabled workers."
