Survey suggests most top firms are not tackling disability issues

Only six out of 50 leading UK and overseas companies mention disability as part of their corporate responsibility strategy.

The finding is contained in a report published last month by the Employer's Forum on Disability. The forum released the report to coincide with the launch of its first annual global benchmarking exercise to audit companies' policies towards disabled people.

The study also found that a similarly low proportion of companies made a public commitment over employees who become disabled, while just under two-fifths reported on the recruitment, retention and personal development of their disabled employees.

The forum has established a set of 13 areas in which companies' social reports should address disability. These include a strategy explicitly commiting the firm to addressing disability and a named board director responsible for corporate governance on disability.

Bob Niven, chief executive of the government's Disability Rights Commission, said that the commission would be taking a keen interest in the forum's initiative "which we hope will lead to significant progress for disabled people."

A summary of the report can be obtained from www.employers-forum.co.uk or telephone 020 7403 3020; minicom 020 7403 0040.