Disability employment gap inquiry

Overview

Identifying barriers to accessing employment is a key part of this Committee’s remit.

Statistics show that the disabled people in Scotland have a lower employment rate than non-disabled people.

The Committee would like to understand what more can be done to ensure disabled people can access employment.

Committee inquiry

The Committee agreed to hold an inquiry that will look at how we can identify and address barriers that limit the ability of disabled people to get and keep a job.

Remit

The Committee is therefore seeking views on the following issues:

• What progress has been made to reduce and remove barriers faced by disabled people to access Scotland’s labour market?;
• What are the remaining challenges, and why has progress been difficult?;
• What policy measures would you like to see to support disabled people and employers to increase participation rates?;
• What has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people’s experience of the labour market?

Your views

As part of the inquiry, the Committee undertook a call for views which closed on 16^th February 2023 and received 41 responses in total. 

Following the Committee’s initial work, a letter was sent to the new Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy.

Read the written submissions here

Engagement

In addition to the public evidence session, the Committee meet with organisations across Scotland that support disabled people into employment, training, education and other opportunities including National Autistic Society Scotland, ENABLE, All in Dundee and Dovetail Enterprises.