Disability lingo scares employers
Four out of five UK employers believe in employing disabled people as a part of their diversity goals, recognizing the talents and skills they bring to the workplace. But many are scared off by politically correct “language of disability.” In a survey recently released by Remploy, researchers have highlighted that there is misunderstanding regarding the language used to describe disability and employers fear they may cause offence. This has become a barrier to employing disabled people. One employer told researchers, “The ballpark is always moving, as are the words that I can say. You don’t say someone is blind, you say visually impaired.” Beth Carruthers, Director of Remploy Employment services states, “The important thing is not the language used to describe disability but that disabled people receive the same respect and opportunities as non-disabled people. The research shows that disabled people can benefit from job coaching and assistance with writing CVs and interviews.”
Researchers also found that one of the main reasons given by businesses for not employing more people with disabilities was that disabled people did not apply for jobs. There was widespread agreement that disabled people are capable of performing most jobs although a few areas, such as construction and the fire service, were not thought suitable.
