By Alistair Kerr, Director of partnerships, Shaw Trust Scotland

BEING in employment is a goal for most people. It provides structure and a sense of purpose to our lives, allows us to embark on careers we’re passionate about, and importantly, it pays for the bills and the things we enjoy. But unfortunately, it’s not easily accessible to everyone. There are many barriers to employment, particularly for those living with a disability. Currently, less than 50 per cent of disabled people are employed, compared to 80 per cent of the non-disabled population aged between 16 and 64.

It’s a topic that has been brought to the fore recently, with a new disability, health and well-being plan announced by the UK Government. The strategy aims to help one million more disabled people into employment over the next 10 years, aligning the Westminster Government to plans already being progressed in Scotland.

With additional devolved powers, the Scottish Government has designed new programmes based on the principle of fair work. It has put the employment needs of disabled people front and centre, and over the past two years, shown us what a person-centred and fairer social security system can look like, with initiatives such as Work First Scotland and Work Able.

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and several welfare reform changes announced in UK Budget mirror movements the Scottish Government has already been making. One example is the extension on the amount of time people can take to pay back advances – lengthened from six months to 12.

However, despite these positive steps, disabled people in the UK still face significant challenges stopping them from participating fully in society. The disability employment gap is stubbornly static, at around 30 percentage points, and the employment rate of people with learning disabilities is shockingly low – just 5.8 per cent. As well as this, only eight per cent of apprenticeships are filled by people with a disability and with JobCentres across Scotland closing, the accessibility to benefits and support is being called into question.

What do we need to do?

Shaw Trust’s vision for future disability, health and employment support centres on policy solutions that are co-produced with disabled people and span all government departments from local to national. The Scottish Government has a unique opportunity to lead on this, introducing statutory targets to ensure there’s concrete action to bridge the disability employment gap.

We also need a more cohesive approach between employment and health support. In an effort to tackle this, Shaw Trust has created a Wellbeing Work campus in Edinburgh to join-up employment support with wellbeing services, such as yoga, fitness classes and reading groups. Employers naturally play a vital role in raising the employment rate of disabled people. The Scottish and Westminster Governments must work closely with employers to tackle the stigma associated with having health problems or disability in the workplace, building accessible and inclusive workspaces for all.

Most importantly, it’s crucial that the Scottish Government ensures specialist disability programmes have the voices of disabled people embedded in the planning, development and practice of these services. This will enable the person to be supported on an individual basis, based on their circumstances and needs.

Together we have a special opportunity for disabled people to achieve their individual goals and aspirations. We must work together to create a strong, sustainable employability legacy for those who have an ambition to work and contribute to Scotland’s vibrant economy.