Supporting Disabled Employees in the Workplace

There are 16.8 million disabled people in the UK, with 24% of working-age adults having a mental and/or physical disability. That’s one in four people who are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. Two key factors in this situation are biases in hiring, and a lack of support for disabled employees once they’ve joined an organisation. We take a look at how you can support disabled employees in the workplace, and retain a happy and inclusive team.

How you can support disabled employees in your organisation

Disabled people face unique challenges whilst job hunting and in employment. If your workplace doesn’t take steps to tackle these, disabled employees won’t be able to get the support they need. They’ll miss out on jobs they’re more than qualified for – and with 10.4 million working-age people in the UK having a disability, that’s a huge talent pool to overlook! To avoid missing out on the opportunity for many passionate and talented individuals to join and stay in your charity team, let’s take a look at the measures you should be implementing.

1. Educate yourself and your team

Make sure hiring managers and the wider team understand that disabilities come in many forms. Many people with invisible impairments and conditions report a lack of understanding when seeking and retaining a job. Examples of invisible impairments and conditions include chronic pain, learning difficulties, diabetes, asthma and autism – and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

2. Level the playing field

Many organisations haven’t made their hiring processes as inclusive as they could be. Every prospective employer has a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants, and these measures often cost little to nothing to implement. For example, during the interviewing process, you should ensure that information is provided in accessible formats, and you should be ready to offer extra time during selection tests. You can find out more by looking at this article about reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates.

3. Make onboarding processes inclusive for disabled people

If you’ve recently offered a role to one or more disabled employees, you’re on the right path. So now it’s important to assess the accessibility of your onboarding processes. Some disabled employees might need extra time for training. Others could benefit from more information about workplace culture, language and communication platforms. To support disabled employees in the workplace, work with each team member to understand their specific needs before they start. This way you can make the induction process more accessible for them.

4. Support disabled employees’ career development

The chance for career progression is important for everyone, but disabled employees are often overlooked for opportunities because the processes aren’t accessible. If members of your team have to go through an interview or assessment for promotion, make sure reasonable adjustments are in place. It’s also important to ensure that all training events and learning opportunities are accessible.

Craft a strong EDI policy

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are essential for creating an inclusive workplace culture. This should be a priority for every organisation, as having an EDI strategy in place turns your values into actions. And this commitment to inclusion can attract and retain a more diverse workforce.

When writing an EDI policy, make sure you include disabled colleagues in the decision-making process. An effective policy is created with, rather than for, disabled employees. However, be careful not to put the full burden of this work onto disabled staff. Helping out should be optional, and participants should be rewarded.

Approach your EDI policies with intersectionality in mind. Some people have more than one protected characteristic (such as disability, age, gender and ethnicity). They’ll therefore come under several different sections of your EDI policy. It’s important to recognise the unique experiences of these employees.

Helpful hint: If you have a small team, you can also look for guidance from disability rights organisations, such as Scope, who offer excellent business service resources.

6. Develop a culture of disability inclusion

Start an open conversation about disability at your organisation. Where necessary, deliver training for all staff so that everyone understands what is and isn’t acceptable. Also make sure that all staff are aware of your EDI policies and can access them at any time. It’s important for employee wellbeing that everyone feels safe and welcome at work. This will also have a huge impact on staff retention.

Disabled employees should feel able to be honest about what they’re comfortable with. Some disabled people might not want to talk publicly about their impairment or condition. They also might not want details to be shared with others. Most importantly, they should feel comfortable in every scenario, whether that’s how staff meetings are delivered, or what after-work social events are being planned.

7. Make workplace adjustments easy to access

There are legal requirements for supporting disabled employees in the workplace. They involve providing reasonable adjustments based on the needs of each employee. But you should treat these as the minimum that you offer.

Some disabled employees will know what adjustments they need, but others may not. 80% of impairments and conditions occur during working age. Employees who have recently received a diagnosis are less likely to know what support they might need at work, and what support is available. Many won’t reach out when they’re struggling, and as a result, they won’t be able to achieve their best. This also has a negative impact on employee wellbeing and on staff retention.

Helpful hint: Offer more than one way to request adjustments. Employees with different needs will benefit from different methods. For example, some may find it easier to speak to their manager in person, whereas others find it easier to email or make requests via internal staff portals.

8. Ask disabled employees for their input at every stage

To fully support disabled employees, you’ll need to work with each individual on a plan for adjustments. Different people with the same diagnosis might need very different adjustments. This is why it’s important to work with each individual on a plan that suits them.

Some employees might not have a diagnosis yet, and some might not identify with the term ‘disabled’. If you can see that an employee is struggling, don’t suggest to them that they have a certain condition. Instead, ask if there are any adjustments that they’d benefit from. Always ask, never assume.

Also make sure to go over established adjustment plans at every chance. This includes at performance reviews, one-to-ones and return-to-work interviews. Even if someone’s performing well, they may still need adjustments. Always ask, no matter how well someone seems to be doing.

Disability facts and stats according to the UK government

The definition of disability: someone is deemed to be disabled if “they have a physical or mental health condition or illness that has lasted or is expected to last 12 months or more, and whether the condition and/or illness reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.”
Employment rates: the disability employment rate in late 2025 was 52.8%, compared to 82.5% for non-disabled people.
Prevalence of occupations: disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to be working in health, retail, education and lower-skilled occupations. They are also more likely be self-employed, working part-time or in the public sector.
Pay and prospects: disabled people are more likely to be underemployed, in low pay, on a zero-hour contract and in a job with fewer career opportunities and less employee involvement.

Looking for extra support?

Scope is a disability charity in England and Wales. It offers training and resources to help businesses support disabled employees. Scope works to change attitudes and close the disability employment gap. Take a look at what they have to offer or contact them directly on business@scope.org.uk

We’re here to help

If you need guidance from sector experts who genuinely understand the diverse needs of charities and the resourcing challenges they face, then get in touch with us. Our team understand the huge value that every employee can bring to the workplace, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Likewise, CharityConnect, our networking platform for charity professionals, is a valuable resource when you’ve got questions to ask. Feel free to browse the conversation threads, and ask for guidance.

This post was originally created with the support of Scope in 2024. It has been updated by CharityJob to ensure relevance and to reflect the current recruitment landscape.