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Working for a change? The same as you?
Recommendations - Lowering the barriers
Inequality in employment affects many different groups in society. For most disadvantaged groups (women, older people, people from ethnic minorities) there have been two broad strategies for change.
Firstly,
non-discrimination and equal treatment. Employers are required by law not to discriminate unfairly on grounds of gender, race or disability (albeit that the provisions on disability are weaker than for the other groups) and to make reasonable adjustments to meet different people's needs. From 2006, employers will not be able to discriminate unfairly on grounds of age, religion and sexuality.
Secondly,
the business case for change. Employers have realised three things. Firstly, they are missing out on talent if they don't go out and recruit from as large a pool as possible. Secondly, if they employ a diverse range of people they are seen as more attractive to and in tune with a diverse range of customers. Third, diverse teams at work can help everyone raise their game and solve problems more creatively.
Even so, there is still widespread discrimination in employment on grounds of gender, race and disability.
The unique position of people with a learning disability
Employment of people with learning disabilities has in the past been seen as an issue of disability (people can't work because they are disabled) rather than equality (people with a learning disability should have an equal opportunity to work).
We think this needs to be changed, and that employment of people with a learning disability should be seen as an issue of equality and social justice. This is an important shift of perspective, partly because the 'business case' is not as straightforward for people with a learning disability.
Most people with a learning disability are hardworking and committed employees who often make a contribution to the workforce which goes beyond the work they do as an individual (Hill
et al., 1999 in Weston, 2002). But some people, because of their learning disability, cannot undertake the same range of tasks, or cannot complete work as quickly, or require a higher than average level of supervision, and sometimes need extra support on a permanent basis.
This is not to say that people cannot learn, or that they cannot exceed their own and others' expectations: but it is to say that it is not enough simply to give people equal opportunities and to make the 'business case' to employers. But nor is it acceptable for employers to see employing people with a learning disability as a form of 'charity'.
New policy directions to help bridge the gap
Three additional policy levers are needed to achieve mainstream, open employment of all people with learning disabilities in Scotland.
First,
employing a diverse workforce has to be identified as a social requirement for all employers - just like existing equal opportunities, health and safety, minimum wage and environmental responsibilities. People with a learning disability have to be included in the definition of a diverse workforce. This means that work needs to be done to achieve an acceptable way of monitoring learning disability as part of wider disability monitoring in employment.
Secondly,
assistance has to be provided to employers so they have the human resource management skills and the assistive technology to help employees with a learning disability to work effectively and sustainably.
Thirdly, for a relatively small number of people with high support needs,
an equitable way must be found to fund the gap between productivity and earnings. A variety of options are possible, including subsidising part or all of the costs of a co-worker; supported self-employment; and directly funding jobs for people with high support needs in the public or voluntary sector. The Norwegian funding model may be one to follow (Evans, 1999). The 'Scottish solution' requires research and development. But the solution(s) must not become routine employer subsidies for everyone with a learning disability or become alternatives to work in the commercial sector.
Below we examine the four levels of the pyramid in turn, then the role of leadership and co-ordination. We make
10 recommendations to transform the employment prospects for people with learning disabilities across the lifespan.
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