About EFD – media briefing for journalists

Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) is the UK’s leading employers' organisation focused on disability.  Funded and managed by our members, we provide advice, support and guidance on recruiting and retaining disabled employees, and serving disabled customers. 

From policy influencing through to the provision of good practice guides, EFD has a broad range of knowledge and expertise around disability and employment matters.

There are more than 10 million people in the UK with protection under disability discrimination legislation, most of whom become disabled between the ages of 18 - 65. Nearly seven million are of working age, but the government estimates around one million disabled people are unemployed but want to work.  Disability and employment is a big issue – for policy makers, for employers and for disabled people themselves.

Why do organisations join EFD?

•    To access knowledge drawn from many years of experience working on issues around employment, customers and disability.

•    To learn from the experiences of others and avoid re-inventing the wheel.

•    To gain business advantages through approaching disability issues with confidence.

•    To access specialist advice on discrimination and equality legislation.

What kinds of resources do we offer?

EFD offers a wide range of resources to members, including publications, briefing papers, seminars and conferences.  There are regional networks in Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire, and sector specific networks for the creative industry, and law enforcement.

We have a helpline, Disability Directions, which offers advice to members looking for support and resources around disability.  We also developed the Disability Standard to establish a common understanding in the private and public sectors of what constitutes best practice on disability. It is the only business-led benchmark that measures an organisation’s performance on every aspect of disability as it affects a business.

What are the current ‘big issues’ for EFD?

•    The Equality Act, which has replaced 116 pieces of legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act;

•    Reform of the welfare reform system and government plans to get more disabled people in to work;

•    Disabled customers and access to goods and services. 

What we can offer journalists

As well as providing comment and interpretation of key issues from leading experts in the field, we have access to a wide range of case study material focussing on good practice around employment, customer service and disability.

For further information, briefings or to arrange an interview, please contact Liz Nightingale, Communications Manager on 020 7403 3020, 07971 671482 or liz.nightingale@efd.org.uk.