Report: Disability, skills and employment

a review of recent statistics and literature on policy and initiatives

29 July 2010

This report examines recent statistics and research on policy and initiatives in the field of disability, skills and employment.  It summarises the available statistics on disability and employment for men and women of working age, including: the prevalence of disability; key labour market statistics; statistics on uptake of welfare benefits; school leavers' qualifications and outcomes; outcomes for disabled graduates; and skills in the working-age population.  It reviews policy developments relating to equality, skills, employment and welfare benefits and discusses the limitations of considering disabled people in groupings, and looks at specific groups of disabled people for whom policies or initiatives have been designed, including: those with physical or sensory conditions; those with mental health conditions; those with learning disabilities; young people at risk of being defined as 'not in education, employment or training' (NEET); disabled students and graduates; and older disabled people.

It daws conclusions relating to: the need to avoid thinking of disabled people as a homogenous group; the need to harmonise the different ways in which disabled people are categorised and defined by different agencies; the importance of supporting disabled children and adults through transitions; and the need to join up government policies on skills, employment, welfare and health.

Available on the internet at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/disability_skills_and_employment.pdf