Small Businesses Employing Disabled People The Law and Practice

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Small Businesses Employing Disabled People The
Law and Practice

• Presentation by Michelle Valentine, Practice
  Development Officer, DRC.

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Our overall goal A society where all disabled
people can participate fully as equal citizens
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• What we are
• The DRC was set up in April 2000 as enforcement
  body for the DDA
• We are independent
• Offices in Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and
  London 180 staff many are disabled people
• We aim to work in partnership with small and
  large businesses, public sector and voluntary
  organisations
• We want to win hearts and minds, not just court
  cases

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DDA Part I

• Definition of Disability
• a physical or mental impairment which has a
  substantial, long term, adverse effect on ability
  to carry out normal day to day activities
• Day to day activities
• Mobility
• Manual dexterity
• Physical co-ordination
• Continence
• Ability to lift, carry or move everyday objects
• Speech, hearing or eyesight impairments
• Memory, ability to concentrate, learn or
  understand
• Being able to recognise physical danger

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DDA Part I Continued

• Also covers people with severe disfigurements
• Can also cover progressive conditions such as
• HIV infection
• Cancer
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular dsytrophy
• Registered disabled people DDA removed green
  card scheme and 3 quota system
• The Act can cover people who have had a
  disability in the past even if they have
  recovered often important for people who have
  had mental health problems

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Part II What is Discrimination?

• 2 Main Types of Discrimination
• Direct Discrimination
• Failure to make reasonable adjustments
• Justification not possible in either case
• Also harassment and victimisation will also be
  unlawful

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Part II Reasonable Adjustments

• Retention - e.g. allocating some of the disabled
  persons duties to another person
• buildings, furniture, equipment

• Recruitment and selection
• Training
• Promotion
• Career Development
• Transfer
• Employment arrangements

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Key Points for SBs

• Disabled people have useful knowledge, skills and
  experience to offer an employer
• Many reasonable adjustments can be done at little
  or no cost
• SBs will only be expected to do what is
  reasonable
• There is help available

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What help is there?

• Local jobcentre Access to Work, Disability
  Employment Advisers
• Disabled people in your community
• Support from Business Links
• The DRC free Helpline and publications

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How you can reach us DRC Helpline Telephone
08457 622633 Textphone 08457 622644 email
enquiry_at_drc-gb.org Website - www.drc-gb.org You
can also subscribe to our monthly email bulletin
via the website