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Advice for employers
There are an estimated 2.3 million hearing-impaired people of working age in the UK. Deaf and hard of hearing people are twice as likely to be unemployed as people in general, and 50 per cent more likely to be in semi-skilled or manual jobs than others in employment. However, there are very few jobs, which deaf and hard of hearing people cannot do given the right training, support and workplace adjustments.
Many service providers in the UK can assist disabled people to find work or training and help to retain and develop their careers.
The Employment Service
The Employment Service aims to offer disabled people help and advice in training or finding work and it encourages employers to make work or training opportunities available to disabled people through the Disability Services Team and the Access to Work Scheme.
Access to Work
Contact your local Employment Service for information about the Access to Work (AtW) Scheme. To get on the scheme you have to resister with the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local job centre.
The AtW scheme helps disabled people who are looking for work, in employment already or self-employed to overcome the practical problems caused by their disability. The scheme also helps disabled people meet the cost of services and facilities that they need because of their disability to do specific jobs.
The AtW scheme provides up to 80 per cent of approved costs for people already in employment, with the remaining 20 per cent covered by the employer. But for new employees of less than six weeks, the grant is up to 100 per cent of the approved costs. The arrangement made is reviewed after a three-year period.
The Access to Work scheme can pay towards the cost of:
- A communicator at an interview, meeting, training course or conference for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. A communicator or interpreter can also help the new employee become familiar with the tasks of a new job.
- Equipment or alterations to existing equipment to suit an individual’s particular needs. This can include computer equipment or telephone aids (amplifiers or textphones).
- Alterations to premises or working environment – for example, help towards installing alarm systems with flashing lights or a pager system or help towards adapting or lowering machinery.
- Extra costs of getting to work if disability prevents an employee from using public transport.
The Disability Employment Adviser also works closely with employers, advising on how to recruit, retain and develop disabled employees, as well as providing financial help. The advisers are usually part of the Disability Service Team who can advise on:
- Developing good employment practices
- Recruiting disabled people
- Retaining employees who become disabled
- Financial help to employing disabled people
- Using the disability symbol
- Job assessment and restructuring
- Work preparation
- Equipment and ergonomics in the workplace
- Accessibility of the premises
- Providing training or work experience
- Communicators for deaf people attending job interviews
- Help to develop disability awareness
- Networking with other employers and organisations.
More information available from
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Job Introduction scheme
This scheme gives disabled people the chance to participate in a work placement for a trial period to put their abilities to the test. The scheme aims to build up confidence and to give the employer a chance to see what they are capable of during the six- to thirteen-week period. It also allows time for both the employer and the job-seeker to see how things are working out with the help of the Disability Service Team. The job-seeker is given a normal salary for this work.
New Deal for Disabled People
This programme will help disabled people claiming disabled and incapacity benefit to work if they wish to do so. Contact your nearest Employment Service for details.
The disability symbol
This symbol is recognizable by the ‘two ticks’ with the
slogan ‘positive about disabled people’. You may find this symbol in a job advertisement and it has been developed to enable employers to show commitment to good practice in employing disabled people, and a commitment to providing equal opportunities. Ask the Disability Employment Officer (DEA) at your local job centre to tell you about the local disability symbol users in the area. Employers who use the symbol make five commitments to ensure that disabled people play a positive role in their workplace:
- To interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities.
- To ask disabled employees at least once a year what can be done to make sure they can develop and use their abilities at work.
- To make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure that they stay in employment.
- To take action to ensure that key employees develop the awareness of disability needed to make their commitments work.
- To review these commitments each year, looking at what has been achieved, to plan ways to improve on them and to let all employees know about progress and future plans.
Contact our Helpdesk for further information.
HC FACTSHEET: Employment Advice