North Tyneside Council has signed up to a charter which calls upon the Government to improve job outcomes for those living with disabilities.
The Disability Employment Charter urges central Government to support disabled people into employment and ensure larger companies record their intake of disabled workers while reporting their disability pay gap. In addition, the charter calls for the Government to take into consideration a company's percentage of disabled workers before awarding contracts.
According to the Charter: "Since 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, the proportion of disabled people who are in employment has gone down, while the proportion who are either unemployed or economically inactive has gone up."
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The council has stated the charter reflects its own views and aspirations for the future of improving routes into work for disabled people as well as improving working environments.
Councillor Hannah Johnson, responsible for inclusion at North Tyneside Council, said: “We’re really proud to be one of the first local Authorities in the area to sign the Disability Employment Charter.
“We are a council that celebrates people of all backgrounds and experiences, and we truly value the diversity of opinion that an inclusive workforce offers.
“We recognise that some colleagues face more challenges than others accessing work, and we are fully committed to providing support to those who do need it.
“We’re grateful to be a signatory to the Disability Employment Charter, and we hope that our involvement will help to strengthen equality and inclusivity across our workplaces.”
At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation from the Government as to when or if they will consider the appeals from the Charter on a national level.
The Disability Employment Charter was established in 2021 by the organisations; Disability Rights UK, Disability@Work, the University of Warwick, the DFN Charitable Foundation, Leonard Cheshire, Scope, Shaw Trust Foundation and UNISON.
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