Equalities Review Final Report - Employers' Forum on Disability response
28th February 2007
Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) cautiously welcomesthe findings of the Equalities Review Final Report, published today.
In particular EFD notes the report's recognition thatdisabled people make up one of the most disadvantaged groups in Britain and are30 per cent more likely to be out of work than non-disabled people with thesame qualifications.
However, the emphasis of the report is centred on thecompeting interests of disadvantaged groups, and less on how inequality anddiscrimination, particularly in the workplace, can be tackled successfully forthe benefit of all.
Employers' Forum on Disability Chief Executive SusanScott-Parker says: "The danger of thisreport is that it positions equality as a competition for justice.
"With the succession of the Commission for Equality andHuman Rights (CEHR) in October, there is also a danger that such competitionwill lead to the new body being seen, by sections of the media, as a commissionfor political correctness.
"This will counter the credible work already done by the DisabilityRights Commission, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission forRacial Equality."
The 174-page report also suggests that the outlook fordisabled people is bleak, stating that the ‘employment penalty' of having adisability will possibly never disappear if the current rate of progresscontinues.
Scott-Parker continues: "The CEHR needs to raise theexpectations of disabled people and at the same time the needs and expectationsof employers need to be met.
"Employers' Forum on Disability has been working formany years with our members to mobilise employers behind inclusion and helptalented disabled people into work."
Ends
Notes to editors
Media enquiries, please contact:
Liz Nightingale, Communications Manager
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: liz.nightingale@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020
About Employers' Forum on Disability
Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 400 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.