Disability, Skills and Work

 

ICT offers a considerable opportunity for those with disabilities to have a fulfilling life and take part in society on equal terms with their non-disabled counterparts. 

 

Effective use of ICT can extend the world of employment to people that were previously excluded from working by physical disability.  For instance, the visually impaired can access ICT using screen readers whilst those with motor and co-ordination based disabilities can use other adptivetechnologies to take advantage of ICT in the workplace.

 

These technologies can also have a tangible impact on an individual's quality of life; allowing someone to control their environment using a variety of devices, including eye movement sensors and track balls, to answer phones, open doors and windows - giving them real independence. 

 

Having gained access to ICT, individuals can also use the power of the internet to express themselves through virtual worlds and social networking sites without the constraints that the physical world places on them.  (visit http://www.abilitynet.org.uk for further details)

 

 

There are estimated to be 6.8million people of working age in the UK with some form of disability, that represents one fifth of the working population; nearly 50% of these are without work:

Employment analysis by skill level

 

 

 

All of these factors combine to have a double impact, not only is it inequitable on social grounds for those affected but it also has an effect on the economy; the Disability Rights Commission estimates that bringing the disabled back into employment  could boost the UK economy by £13bn per annum.