Understanding gender, disability and the protection gap

  • Describe the challenges disabled women face in the workplace.
  • List what can be done to address this problem in the group insurance market.
  • Identify what other help is available to support disabled women back into work.
  • Describe the challenges disabled women face in the workplace.
  • List what can be done to address this problem in the group insurance market.
  • Identify what other help is available to support disabled women back into work.
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CPD
Approx.30min
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CPD
Approx.30min
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CPD
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Understanding gender, disability and the protection gap

Support from the state is available, though not necessarily something to be relied upon.

The well-worn discussions about the ongoing diminution of the Employment and Support Allowance aside, other employment-focused initiatives are also flagging.

The most well-known of these, Access to Work, can provide financial and practical support to disabled people based on their needs.

This could provide modifications to the equipment for the job, specialist software, counselling support, even aid with transport to and from the workplace.

It does not cover reasonable adjustments employers need to make to comply with the Equality Act 2010, but the average cost of these has been estimated at just £75, with many costing nothing at all, according to the Department of Health.

However, these mechanisms can take several weeks to become fully implemented, requiring a particularly patient and understanding employer.

Seeing the potential

Working with disabled women to understand how to help them be as productive as possible at work, and perhaps taking responsibility for some of that help in the first instance, would also send a powerful message.

There are other, simpler ways to support disabled women in work, as alluded to earlier.

Flexible working is a simple change for many in this age of teleconferencing, remote access and “bring your own device”. Yet it can have a profound impact on the capacity of disabled women to contribute to the workplace, which could yield huge benefits to businesses.

All the way back in 2007, the Disability Rights Commission estimated that raising the employment rate of disabled workers to that of non-disabled workers would generate six months of economic growth, boosting the economy by £13bn. 

The Chartered Management Institute estimated in 2016 that doing the same thing for women could boost GDP by 10 per cent by 2030 and add £41bn to the economy each year.

Businesses need to see the potential in creating opportunity for marginalised groups.

Skilled, loyal workers are out there, and employers with vision can seize the moment and lead the way in a virtuous circle that would benefit them as much as it does society as a whole, and the individuals they take on in particular.

Steven Dean is research and communication specialist at Canada Life Group Insurance

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CPD
Approx.30min
Please answer the six multiple choice questions below in order to bank your CPD. Multiple attempts are available until all questions are correctly answered.
  1. Disabled women are likely to face what throughout their lives?
  2. Overlooking a valuable pool of willing workers has a knock-on effect on three things. Which one of the below is not in that list?
  3. The disability employment gap has been above what percentage for more than 10 years?
  4. "The charity sector is better equipped to employ disabled women, with more money to make reasonable adjustments." True or false?
  5. In 2007, the Disability Rights Commission estimated that raising the employment rate of disabled workers to that of non-disabled workers would generate how many months of economic growth?
  6. According to the author, what type of workers are out there for employers?
  7. To bank your CPD you must sign in or Register.