British study says credit crunch affecting employment of disabled people

From OnlineRecruitment.com:

At a time when workforces are being reduced and the economy is more unpredictable than ever, a new study identifies the impact of rising unemployment for disabled people.

"US and UK routes to Employment: Strategies to Improve Integrated Service Delivery to People with Disabilities," by City University London and the University of Massachusetts, highlights the current economic climate as one of the main challenges to delivering effective employment services for disabled people and helping them progress from benefits into work.

Doria Pilling, Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Disability and Social Inclusion, City University London, who co-authored the study, said: “Initiatives to overcome employers’ misperceptions about employing disabled people are essential in this economic climate.”

Funded by the IBM Center for the Business of Government, the study reviews research on the Public Employment services for disabled people in the United Kingdom and the United States and identifies 12 strategies that show some evidence of effectiveness. These include:

-- Proactively reaching out and marketing to disabled people to increase access to employment programs and services

-- Training staff on disability and related issues to more effectively serve disabled people

-- Engaging disability organisations in direct employment service delivery

-- Understanding employers’ needs as part of the process of finding jobs for disabled people

-- Intervening early to help prevent people on long-tem disability benefits from becoming disconnected from the labour market

-- Helping people to understand and manage their disability so they are in a better position to obtain and keep employment

-- Providing support to help disabled people do their job and stay in work

Doria continues, “Implementing these strategies can benefit not only individuals with disabilities, who will have the opportunity to realise their potential, but also the taxpayer, who will pay less for disability assistance, and society at large, which gains the productive skill of talented individuals. However, many challenges remain to be overcome for services to be really effective.”

Philippa Simkiss, Head of Employment and Life Long Learning at RNIB, welcomes the research, “RNIB wants to improve the effectiveness and impact of services for blind and partially sighted people. This report provides a focus for us and the whole employment sector to build the evidence for person-centred services, to ensure existing services are delivered more effectively and new services are developed to meet unmet needs.”

Mark Deal, Head of Research and Development at Enham charity for disabled people, said: “Current information on Welfare Reform is vital for third sector organisations as rising unemployment affects some of the most disadvantaged in our society. This report encourages us to think strategically during a time of significant change.”
Jonathan D. Breul, Executive Director, IBM Center for the Business of Government, said:

"Now more than ever, society needs to draw on the talents of all of its members. Too often, the barriers against helping individuals with disabilities into the workforce remain too high. This report provides a roadmap for a smarter, more intelligent delivery of services for individuals with disabilities."

For the executive summary which includes a list of all 12 strategies please visit: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/BoeltzigUSUKExecSumm.pdf

For a full copy of the report please visit: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/publications/grant_reports/details/index.asp?gid=338