Today is the opening day of the TUC’s two day Disabled Worker’s Conference. And last week was the Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme of Surviving or Thriving?
While the employment rate of disabled people has increased in the last few years there is still a large disability employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people. The 2015 government had a commitment to halve this gap by 2020. This is a welcome pledge but previous TUC research indicates that based on current trends it is unlikely to be met.
New TUC research shows that mental health problems are a barrier to getting into work or staying in work because adequate adjustments are not being made in the workplace. Significant government and employer action is therefore needed to address the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people.