George spoke following a Ministerial Statement made by Esther McVey, the Under-Secretary of State for Disabled on the redirection of government funding away from Remploy, which has been under-performing for some time.
George stated that one of the barriers to disabled people going into mainstream employment is a misconception among employers that it will somehow cause them difficulty, although the evidence shows that the employers who overcome their apprehension often find that the disabled person compensates for their disability by having much greater ability in other respects and therefore becomes a very valued member of their team. He then asked ‘What more can be done to educate employers and persuade them to give disabled people a chance?’
Esther McVey answered: ‘My hon. Friend makes a terrific point. This is all about awareness, and it is important to understand that only 3% of people are born with disabilities but most of us will acquire one during our life, probably in our 40s and 50s, so we have to do what we can because we all have a vested interest. On my hon. Friend’s specific point, we will be holding a disability employment event in July, bringing together some of the biggest employers locally, nationally and internationally to ask them, “What are you doing, how do we spread best practice, and what can we do to support you?”
To see a full transcript of the debate, click here.