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| The BSIA's survey revealed that 62.3% of respondents said their company currently employs someone who is disabled |
Yesterday (3rd Dec) marked the annual International Day of Disabled People (IDDP), an awareness day which aims to promote the abilities of disabled people and strives for better inclusion of people with disabilities into communities across the world. Sponsored by the United Nations since 1992, this year’s campaign is focused on building ‘disability confidence’.
Beth Carruthers, Director of Employment Services for Remploy – the UK’s leading provider of specialist employment services and employment for disabled people – explains the message behind this year’s campaign: “International Day of Disabled People is celebrated all over the world and is dedicated to promoting the abilities of disabled people. There couldn’t be a most appropriate time to spread the message about becoming ‘disability confident’.
“Equality in the workplace is good for disabled people and good for business; but it’s also good for the country as a whole. If disabled people’s employment rate matched that of the rest of the population, an extra two million people would be in work.”
As part of this year’s awareness campaign, Remploy are encouraging employers to take part in their own ‘Disability Confidence Quiz’. The online questionnaire is aimed at any employer wishing to build disability confidence amongst their staff group, whether it’s a private, public or non-profit organization.
The aim of the quiz is to identify gaps in knowledge and highlight the employment services Remploy can offer to suit specific needs. Those who take the quiz will also be entered into a prize draw, which entitles entrants to a 20% discount from Remploy’s leading disability guide.
Last year, a survey of British Security Industry Association (BSIA) members demonstrated that the security industry already places confidence in disability, with 62.3% of respondents revealing that their company currently employs someone who is disabled. 96.2% of those surveyed also believed that the management team of their organization takes equality, diversity and inclusion very seriously in the way they behave and talk.
Despite this positive attitude towards disabilities, there are still some barriers to overcome. While members of the BSIA do believe there are a wide range of opportunities within the industry for those with a disability, 70% of respondents felt that there is not enough awareness about such opportunities.
When asked what they believed the main challenge to be for disabled jobseekers, 41.5% thought that the access to suitable vacancies could be the leading obstacle, with 34% highlighting that there may be a lack of understanding of the roles available within the security industry.
The private security industry boasts a wide variety of career opportunities across an array of different sectors that can suit the needs of those with a disability.
