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Overview
The Employers' Forum on Disability is an employers' organisation focused on the issue of disability in the workplace. It is funded and managed by employers. With almost 400 members, the Forum represents organisations that employ around 25% of the UK workforce.
The Forum is recognised as the authoritative voice on disability as it affects employers and service providers.
The Forum has, since its establishment in 1986, worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.
The Forum
Established in 1986 as an apolitical not for profit employers' organisation by a small number of committed companies the Forum has grown to over 400 member organisations employing approximately 25% of the national workforce.
Members come from a wide range of sectors including:
- Retail
- Financial services
- Media
- Manufacturing
- Government departments
- Local authorities
- NHS Trusts
- Universities and colleges.
Susan Scott-Parker is the founding chief executive of the Employers' Forum. She is an acknowledged expert and commentator on the business advantages of embracing diversity and equal opportunities.
Member organisations regard the Forum as a 'self-help' club bringing them together to share best practice on disability. The Forum provides events at both a regional and national level where members can meet, share best practice and keep up to date with disability issues. Additionally, members benefit from a dedicated information line to help them understand and manage both the legislation and the best practice approach to disability.
Our publications
The Disability Communication Guide, with nearly 1.5 million copies in circulation. It gives practical advice on how to meet, greet and interview people with disabilities.
Welcoming Disabled Customers is aimed at front line staff who serve customers, is one of the Forum's most successful publications with 1 million copies sold.
Open for Business explains how to make premises more accessible for disabled customers.
The Forum also produces a series of Briefing Papers on employment adjustments for people with disabilities. Titles include visual impairment, hearing impairment, dyslexia, mental health problems, and managing sickness absence.
The Forum supports the need for a legislative framework that is credible in the eyes of both employers and disabled individuals. For example, the Forum and its members supported the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and continues to advise on its improvement and development.
The Forum aims to make it easier for champions inside organisations to gain top team commitment to put practical polices and procedures in place and to affect long term strategic organisational change.
Our membership grows steadily as does our capacity to bring employers, disabled people and other stakeholders together to develop a fresh approach to disability, based on partnership.