Survey reveals wide variation in disability charities' employment of disabled workers

Some charities do not appear to be practising what they preach when it comes to employing disabled staff, according to a recent survey by disability magazine Disability Now.

The survey of 15 disability charities found a "wide variation in the number of disabled people they employ, even though they all have equal opportunities policies."

Statistics from the Labour Force Survey reveal that almost 19% of people of working age are disabled. Yet among some of the larger charities covered by the survey, mental health charity Mencap with around 4,700 employees said it employed "at least 3%" disabled staff while cerebral palsy charity Scope (3,789 employees) gave a figure of 2.98%.

Among the large charities, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) came out top with 16% disabled employees. Top among the small groups was the British Council of Disabled People - all of its 14 workers are disabled.

Disability Now reported a variety of reasons for some of the low figures. Scope and Mencap said that because they employed a large number of care and support staff, they were restricted in who they could employ in those roles.