Our voice on careers and employment Liz Sayce

Making rights real

So we can participate

The social model Social model – remove barriers! Too much blaming the individual Work Programme – at best 88% failure rate with disabled people. After 2 years Job Seekers Allowance claimants have to do mandatory community work placements or sign on daily etc Shouldn’t the state have to provide better support?

Countering the blame game Let’s Stop Disability Hate Crime A guide for setting up third party reporting centres

Campaigning for careers on our terms Social Care Portability now accepted as a right. Worked with Jane Campbell in Lords Access to Work: numbers going up at last (over 31, – with over 10,000 new starts, more than the previous year – including ‘ways in’ eg supported internships, work experience) Getting disabled people’s voices heard

Victoria MacDonald It’s the non-work programme, charity says Calling for a radical rethink, Disability Rights UK points to the government’s own figures which reveal a 95 per cent failure rate in finding sustainable work for those on the work programme. Liz Sayce described the work programme as the “non-work programme”.Disability Rights UK

Taking control of employment support Over 500 people shared experiences – 3 quarters want to know the resources available to use them and be able to decide on their support Top down employment programmes do not work eg National Audit Office – Pathways to Work did not make a difference Work Choice a little better but does not reach those facing greatest barriers eg 58 people with mental health problems helped to get jobs in GB compared to 201 in one part of London with individualised approach

3 propositions Real opportunities for employment, not make-do employment Personalised support, that we can control Skills boost for decent careers

But – need policy shifts Poverty: JRF, All party disability group Skills, apprentices Pip 20 metres/ 50 metres – exploring further challenge WCA appeals Universal credit Portable social care Transport eg travel cards, training

What can we do locally and nationally? Involve more people - one in 5 of the population is covered by Equality Act definition of disability Many see themselves in terms of their impairment or ‘illness’ – but everyone needs to strip away disabling barriers! Let’s not go back to ‘illness’ language Campaign for young disabled people’s job opportunities Young disabled people are twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training than non-disabled – a national crisis Locally and nationally we can work together to stop another generation being out of work for decades Take advantage of some jobs coming on stream….? Campaign for our rights to independent living and opportunities