MSPs want to hear of barriers to disabled finding work

Barriers faced by disabled people in finding their ideal job are the subject of a new study by the Scottish Parliament's Economy & Fair Work Committee.

MSPs on the committee would like to hear directly from those affected about these barriers and what more they as policymakers can do to help make looking for a job a more equitable experience for everyone.

Statistics show that people with a disability in Scotland have a lower employment rate than non-disabled people. The Scottish Government has a target to halve this gap in the next 15 years.

The committee is asking for views on:

• What progress has been made to reduce and remove barriers faced by disabled people to access Scotland’s labour market?
• What are the remaining challenges, and why has progress been difficult?
• What policy measures would you like to see to support disabled people and employers to increase participation rates?
• What has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people’s experience of the labour market?

The call for views closes on 16 February 2023. The committee has an evidence hearing with the relevant Scottish Government minister in early February, and any views provided by the end of January will be made available for that session. However, it is appreciated this is a tight timescale and all views provided after January will be considered when the committee returns to the topic later in the year.

Convener Claire Baker MSP commented: "There have been some really good examples of where employers have put in place measures to make sure that everyone, regardless of their background, is able to get and keep a job.

"But we know that this is unfortunately not the case for every disabled person who is actively looking for employment."