EQUAL - Disability Equals Business

Disability Equals Business

Logo for Disability Equals Business

Description

The project’s findings fed into Government consultation on review of discrimination law.

Background

This project evolved from the research and experience of organisations providing supported employment services for disabled people. They identified that, although a lot of assistance was being provided to unemployed disabled people to help improve their employment prospects, they were still hampered by employers’ negative attitudes towards employing disabled people. This project focussed on trying to find ways of improving the understanding and attitudes of Sussex based employers, especially small and medium sized businesses.The project’s partners included organisations working with and for employers, with and for disabled people, plus the major local authorities in Sussex and an NHS community healthcare trust, amongst others.

Aims

To improve employment prospects for disabled and other disadvantaged people by raising employers’ awareness and understanding of the business case for diversity and equal opportunities good practices. To empower disabled people and partners involved in the project through the opportunity to work together to influence the business community. To demonstrate that effective partnership working could facilitate the achievement of project aims, actions and outcomes which otherwise would not be possible. Utilising the expertise of each partner to promote the business case for workplace equality and diversity

Objectives

Develop equality and diversity initiatives
Engage the business community to help them audit their practices
Assist and support employers to implement equality and diversity strategies
Improve employers’ understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act
Develop and promote an equality and diversity toolkit and develop action plans tailored to individual employers
Assist with cultural change through case studies and business champions
Provide support to employers and disabled employees
Market and network the project with the disabled and business communities
Engage in transnational working
Monitor and evaluate the DP's work and ensure effective mainstreaming, working closely with the Transnational Group for Facilitating Access (Theme A).

Target Groups

Employers
Disabled people

Round

Round 1 to Round 2

This Development Partnership was not involved in Round One.

Lead partner

West Sussex County Council >>
www.westsussex.gov.uk >>

Transnational partnerships

Information for Transnational partnerships

Contact

David Cain
West Sussex Works/Paritas
david.cain@westsussex.gov.uk >>
Kirsty Mackenzie
West Sussex Works/Paritas
kirsty.mackenzie@westsussex.gov.uk >>

End-dates

Action 2: 31 December 2007
Action 3: 31 March 2008

Equal theme

Facilitating access

Beneficiaries

People with disabilities

Achievements

Simon Minty, Partner and Director of Minty and Friend, a business and diversity speaking at final event.

Tools and documents created

Web based toolkit, designed at the beginning of the project as a quick way for employers to assess their understanding of the legislation, and as a platform to encourage them to contact us.

A checklist for assessing employers’ performance against certain disability equality criteria. This formed the basis for each employer’s action plan. This checklist has been made available to partners and others for future use as a mainstreaming tool for continuing work with employers.

A set of procurement tools for use by public bodies, which we encouraged public bodies in Sussex to adopt.

A guide (including easy-read version), for disabled peoples’ groups, on how to lobby government and other bodies.

21 information sheets on various disability topics

A Sussex Business Guide to Disability and a Directory of Employment Services

A 2007 calendar with positive images of disabled people working. 2,000 were distributed to employers, partners, local authorities, schools etc.

Engaging with Sussex-based employers

The project team contacted over 2000 employers across the whole of Sussex. This resulted in face-to-face meetings with over 600 of them, of which 300 worked with our consultants to create an action plan aimed at improving equal opportunities in their organisation.

Other actions/outcomes

Identified key themes from research and put into policy briefing for relevant Government departments and agencies.
Influenced delivery of ‘Realising Potential’ project of Jobcentre Plus, with findings and expertise gained from employer engagement.
Project’s findings fed into Government consultation on review of discrimination law.
A spin off from Disability Equals Business project was the creation of Paritas—a recruitment agency specialising in finding employment opportunities for people with mental health difficulties.

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Connections

Sussex Business Guide to Disability

www.disabilityguide.info/ >>

Although the Disability Equal Business Project has ended, its services to businesses are no longer available. More >>

Andrew Curtis >>

Spin off from Disability Equals Business Project

www.paritas.org.uk >>

A recruitment Agency specialising in finding employment opportunities for people with mental health difficulties. More >>

Elaine James >>

Add a new connection >>

Main outputs

DEB Outcomes Summary >>This leaflet summarises the outcomes of Disability Equals Business, a partnership project that ran from April 2005 to December 2007 and covered the whole of Sussex, including the City of Brighton & Hove.

Sussex Business Guide to Disability >> Disability Equals Business have produced the Sussex Business Guide to Disability, which businesses may find useful in making changes in line with Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA).

Activities and products

Equal - Talente is a transnational partnership

Equal - Talente >> This DP aimed specifically to structurally improve the transition between school and profession for people with disabilities.

Pro-Fit >> Pro-Fit Lower Austria’s main goals were to promote information and consulting services for employers in the region of Lower Austria, and to increase the employability of people with disabilities by offering dissemination training.

2007 Calendar >>The Disability Equals Business 2007 Calendar supported the 'social model of disability'.

Disability Equals Business Meeting Checklist >>Recruitment practices checklist for employers.

Information Sheets >> 21 information sheets on various disability and business related topics.

Procurement Tools >>A set of procurement tools for use by public bodies, which we encouraged public bodies in Sussex to adopt.

Research Report >> The research explores the work of Disability Equals Business and evaluates the impact of the equal opportunities support and guidance to employers.

The Bridge - Transnational Newsletter >>The Bridge, the transnational newsletter of Working Towards Diversity.

Equal-Works

Equal themes