Disability in numbers
Let's start with some facts and figures about disability that you may not know:
- There are over 1 billion disabled people across the world - that's 12.5% of the entire population worldwide.
- 17% of disabled people were born with their condition.
- 80% of disabilities are non-visible.
- In the UK, there are 14.7 million disabled people - when asked, 60% of people would underestimate this number.
- Disabled people will apply for 60% more jobs than non-disabled people before securing one!
- In 2023/24, the disability pay gap was 17.2% - that means disabled people get paid on average £2.35 per hour less than non-disabled people.
There are many other issues for the disabled community too, but these numbers help us to see the scale of some of the challenges they face.
Definition of disability
You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. It also applies if you have a condition that is likely to get progressively worse over time.
- Substantial means that the condition and its effects are more than minor or trivial. An example would be that someone will take longer to do a daily task than someone
without an impairment. - Long-term means that the condition has or is likely to continue for twelve months or more. For example, conditions such as asthma, or a chronic pain.
The law automatically considers you disabled from the moment you are diagnosed with certain medical conditions. These are HIV, cancer, or multiple sclerosis - it applies from the moment that the condition is diagnosed.
Social model of disability
We use the social model of disability which sees the exclusion and discrimination faced by disabled people as caused by the barriers that exist in society, and not inevitable as a result of someone’s impairment. For example, someone with a mobility impairment becomes disabled when they encounter a building or service that's inaccessible to them due to the way it's been designed. It’s the poor design that disables the person, not their impairment.
There can be multiple barriers in workplaces that union members can change – they might be physical, attitudinal, or related to communication.
Hidden disabilities
Not all disabilities are immediately obvious because someone may have no outward signs that they have a condition or illness. There are many conditions that people live with that you would not be immediately aware. Living with these conditions can make daily life more difficult and demanding and will affect each person differently. The fact that the impairment is invisible creates a challenge as others may fail to acknowledge or find it difficult to understand the disablement.
Some examples: long COVID, chronic fatigue or pain; diabetes; mental illness; sight or hearing loss; chronic asthma; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung conditions; neurodiverse conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD); dyslexia and other learning and developmental conditions.
Many people with a hidden disability face extra challenges in their daily lives. A yellow sunflower symbol can be worn to indicate a hidden disability and has become more prominent as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reasonable adjustments
When we talk about reasonable adjustments, we're talking about the legal duty placed on employers through the Equality Act 2010 to accommodate the needs of colleagues with a disability. We always encourage employers to make reasonable adjustments if there is uncertainty whether a condition falls within the legal definition of disability.
Adjustments may be temporary or permanent, physical (for example, a new chair or a change of keyboard) or non-physical (such as changes to a someone's role, working hours, extra rest breaks, phased return, and reasonable absence adjustments – we’ll cover reasonable attendance in the next section).
Reasonable adjustment passports document agreed adjustments including useful information about someone's impairment. The purpose of passports is to have a single document that can be shared by the owner with their manager to help them understand their needs. Occupational Health and the workplace adjustment assessment process can help individuals and managers reach agreement on suitable adjustments.
Dates for the diary
- February is Raynaud's awareness month.
- 3rd March is World Hearing day
- 4th March is World Cancer day
- 2nd April is World Autism day & the start of World Autism month
- April is also Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness week
- 4th May is the start of Deaf awareness week
- 30th May is World MS day
- June is Carers week
- September is World Alzheimer's Month
- 21st September is World Alzheimer's Awareness day
- 4th October is World Dyslexia Awareness day
- November is Disability History Month
- 14th November is World Diabetes day
- 1st December is World AIDS day
Disability support
General Disability support
General Disability support
- Gov.UK - Benefits & financial support
- Scope - Advice & support or call 0808 800 3333
- Acas - guide on requesting reasonable adjustments
- Disability rights UK - offer lots of information about disability in the UK.
- Bank Workers Charity: 0800 0234 834
Tools for work
- WebAIM - helps check colours and readability of text
- Microsoft - Accessibility Tools for Neurodiversity
- Microsoft - General Accessibility Technology & Tools
- Help create accessible communications by design
- Test the readability of your work
Mental health support
Mental health support
- LBG’s Employee Assistance Programme: 0800 9700 100
- TSB's Employee Assistance Programme: 0800 0856 348
- Bank Workers Charity: 0800 0234 834
- Samaritans: 116 123
- NHS (including 111): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/suicide/
Support from Accord
Support from Accord
- Find and contact your local Accord rep or Officer.
- Find out more about disability and your rights at work
- Find guidance on unfair treatment at work
- Find guidance on discrimination at work
- Check out this guidance from Acas for more information on discrimination.
About the ED&I Group
The Accord Equality Diversity & Inclusion group’s aim is to maximise our members' potential, regardless of background, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. It’s a place where diversity is celebrated, without prejudice or judgement. It’s a chance to collectively learn from our experiences, and enrich all our lives.
The group get involved in a broad spectrum of events across the year. If you’re interested, why not get involved — email us at [email protected] or register to join online.
