Written evidence from Jane Warren (DEG0108)

My name is Jane Warren. I am responding to your call for evidence through Scope, the disability equality charity.I want to share my experiences of the barriers I've faced in work and what can be improved to help disabled people in the future.

I've answered two questions below as part of your call for evidence.

What extra support would you benefit from in work? Or what would you change about existing support on offer?

More communication about schemes and benefits that the disabled and people with long term health illnesses can access eg Access to Work. More awareness for both people applying for jobs and for employers. Better access and wider use of clear face masks for people with hearing difficulties.

Looking to the future, what does the Government need to improve on to help disabled people get into, stay and progress in work?

More support for people and especially employers. It doesn't cost more to have a disabled employee, we sometimes just need a bit of support, flexibility or help to apply for things like Access to Work

The disability employment gap has been stuck close to 30 percent for over a decade, and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has seen disabled people falling out of work faster than non-disabled people. 

Scope wants the Government to deliver on its pledge to tackle the disability employment gap. The Government must use the opportunity of the forthcoming National Strategy for Disabled People to set out plans to close the gap.

I hope that the evidence I have provided, alongside research from Scope will prove useful to the committee.

December 2020