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UK business has a golden opportunity to access the £249bn annual disability market through the Government’s Disability Confident scheme, according to disability equality champion Mike Adams OBE.
Purple’s Chief Executive says the Government’s re-launch of its Disability Confident scheme is providing businesses with the opportunity to relook at disability differently and help them access the disability market, or ‘Purple Pound’, which is worth £249bn a year to the UK.
The Disability Confident scheme aims to support the government’s overall strategy to reduce the disability employment gap. It has been running since 2013 and was re-launched by the minister for disabled people Penny Mordaunt MP last November.
However, ahead of the re-launch Purple carried out research revealing almost a third of businesses (29 per cent) are uncertain about how to become involved in the scheme while a further 30 per cent have not yet heard of it.
While the scheme has had some success before now with several hundred companies across the UK signing up to the initiative, Purple believes businesses require more practical advice and guidance to transform their workplaces. To support businesses achieve Disability Confident accreditation, and the commercial benefits of doing so, Purple has recently launched a bespoke offer into the marketplace.
Chief Executive of Purple, Mike Adams, said:
“It’s unacceptable that in 2016, being disabled makes you twice as likely to live in poverty. Just 49 per cent of the UK’s 11.5m disabled people are currently in work, compared to 82 per cent of non-disabled people. This has a real impact on the quality of life of disabled people, as well as on the British economy, which is providing financial support rather than receiving incoming funds through taxable earnings.
Business is finally starting to realise the benefits of having a diverse workforce with the ‘Purple Pound’ in the UK worth £212bn a year. The re-launch of Disability Confident is a golden opportunity for business to become Purple and access this lucrative market through inclusive employment strategies.”
Purple’s research previously found almost half of UK businesses (45 per cent) are apprehensive about hiring someone with a disability because of fears they won’t be able to do the job.
It is now working with business to combat these misconceptions and develop inclusive employment strategies.
Purple also simultaneously works with disabled people offering employment support, as well as a specialist recruitment portal matching skilled disabled workers with employers. The organisation aims to help more than 20,000 disabled people to find permanent jobs over the next decade.
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