Disabled workers with invisible impairments


A good practice guide for workplace reps to help them support trade union members with invisible impairments has been published by the TUC.


Most disabled people do not have visible signs of impairment, such as the use of a mobility aid. And if a person’s impairment is not visibly obvious, their right to reasonable adjustments to aid their access to work may not be as readily recognised. In some cases, a person’s impairment may even be treated with disbelief by colleagues and managers.


The TUC guide, You don’t look disabled, provides information on the role that unions can play, including in supporting members with invisible impairments. It will help educate fellow trade unionists and other workers away from the misleading stereotypes too often found in the popular press so that the widespread demonisation of disabled people is more effectively challenged.


The guide covers the equality laws that support disabled workers and provides case studies to show how problems can be addressed to stop or prevent discrimination.


TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Disabled people have a much lower employment rate than non-disabled people, and not only face barriers getting a job but can encounter problems staying in work. 


"There is still a long way to go before genuine equality is achieved for access to work, and treatment at work. To make progress, it is important to address popular stereotypes of disability that rarely fit the reality of individual lives.”


www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/You%20don%27t%20look%20disabled.pdf