We haven’t been publishing Party press releases for a while now, as we weren’t receiving any. However, the ‘teleprinter’ has suddenly sprung back into life…
Government letting down disabled workforce
Liberal Democrats have backed a new policy at its Spring Conference demanding better support for the disabled workforce.
The motion noted that the Chancellor’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ in response to the pandemic made only one reference to disabled people and “contained nothing to address the specific challenges facing disabled people”.
The Liberal Democrats are proposing a range of measures to support disabled people into work, including a Jobs Guarantee for unemployed disabled people and an automatic right to work from home.
Speaking after the motion was approved, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Equalities Wera Hobhouse said:
Liberal Democrats are determined to end discrimination against disabled people and so much more needs to be done to that in the workplace.
This pandemic has hit disabled people particularly hard in so many ways, but they and their carers are still too often forgotten and ignored by people in power. The Chancellor’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ last summer contained nothing to address the specific challenges facing disabled people.
Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to introduce a targeted strategy to support disabled people into work as we emerge from this pandemic.
We must do far more to tackle barriers to work for disabled people and to change the way employers view disability.
2 Comments
I’m very interested in category 2/3 housing. Disabled people need to be treated fairly, often they are not. DNR, is not an option and should apply only if requested. It’s not simply a tick box.
Those who are disabled, and are able to work should have every possible opportunity to do so.
Having suffered in the past with a sight loss after my illness, all I can say is it’s not easy.
A more open minded approach is needed for disabled people. Not accountable for those who wished to be housed is not the answer, the government can’t ignore the subject and it goes away.
“including a Jobs Guarantee for unemployed disabled people……We must do far more to tackle barriers to work for disabled people and to change the way employers view disability.”
Exactly. Keynesian full employment policies will be effective for most able bodied workers but probably not for the disabled and other very hard to place potential workers. Several years spent homeless on the streets doesn’t look great on a CV. Arguably, they wouldn’t be homeless in the first place if they’d had a decent job which paid a living wage. The danger is that unemployment leads to unemployability.
So the cycle of deprivation needs to be broken and we need to allow everyone the opportunity to make a contribution to society within their ability to do so.
It’s a good step in the right direction!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-32613957