Update News

Man Utd champion disability
Premiership football club Manchester United has joined the Forum as part of its ongoing commitment to disabled employees and customers. 
Manchester United is the first football club to become a member of the Forum. The company includes the world-famous football club, a catering and corporate hospitality arm and a club merchandising business. It employs around 600 permanent staff, with up to 2,000 casual staff taken on for match days. 
Manchester United is currently developing its HR policies and procedures, including those related to disability. Group HR manager Anthony Lawler said membership of the Forum would enable the club to stay ahead of developments on disability and how they relate to both employees and customers. 
"The main benefit for us is being able to speak to professionals from a range of relevant organisations to develop our future policies and keeping up to date with latest legislation and thinking in this area," he said. 
The club's recent £pound;30 million scheme to improve facilities at its Old Trafford grounds included expansion of the area for wheelchair users and other disabled spectators. Facilities were also improved for people with visual impairments. 
Ian Hastie, business development manager at the Forum, welcomed the news. "Manchester United is a worldwide brand and its influence is significant. I hope that its involvement with the Forum will encourage other clubs to sit up and take notice," he said.
For more information contact Anthony Lawler on 0161 868 8235.

We're still committed, says new minister 
New disability minister Maria Eagle emphasised the business case for good practice on disability at a reception for the Forum's Gold Card members held in June. 
Sponsored by Gold Card Group member HSBC, the event was the minister's first public engagement since replacing Margaret Hodge following a government reshuffle. 
Eagle, a qualified solicitor and MP for Liverpool Garston, said she was "proud and pleased" to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Hodge and was looking forward to her work at the newly created Department of Work and Pensions. In addition to responsibility for disabled people, her brief covers the Disability Rights Commission and disability policy and benefits.
"I've already become aware as the Forum celebrates its 10th anniversary that it's never been more important to get the message across; having accessible services and employing disabled people is good for business, not just for the people who benefit but for business themselves," the minister said. 
Eagle outlined the government's commitment to equality for disabled people, referring to its proposals to extend the Disability Discrimination Act, as outlined in its consultation paper 'Towards inclusion', and also its signing of the European directive on equal treatment. 
However, she stressed that awareness and understanding of disability was needed as well as legislation. "There are too many firms and individuals who still discriminate against people on the basis of their disability, whether from prejudice or misunderstanding," she said. 
Forum chief executive Susan Scott-Parker outlined the importance of partnerships - involving government, business, the public sector and voluntary organisations - in achieving change.

Best-selling guide gets an update
The Forum has launched a new edition of its best-selling publication, 'Welcoming disabled customers'. Unveiled at the Gold Card Group reception in June and funded by HSBC, the new edition has been redesigned and updated to reflect latest disability legislation and related requirements. Over 900,000 copies of 'Welcoming disabled customers' have been sold to date. 
HSBC is distributing the new guide to 50,000 of its employees. Speaking at the launch, HSBC's David Mills said: "In the run-up to 2004 and the next tranche of DDA legislation it is crucial for service providers to come to terms with the rising expectations of their customers as well as their legal responsibilities. 
"This publication was part of a culture shift eight years ago and will continue to play a role as more and more organisations realise the business benefits of welcoming disabled customers."
Copies of the new edition of 'Welcoming disabled customers' can be ordered from the Forum's publications team on 020 7403 3020.

Taxi group aims to lift the barriers
The UK engineering group behind London's famous black taxis, Manganese Bronze, has joined the Forum.
Roy McMaster, managing director of London Taxis International Retail & Marketing, said the group has long recognised the business case for barrier-free design and extends this view to include employment and administrative procedures. 
"We're constantly trying to improve our products. To achieve this we need a barrier-free physical and cultural environment. That's why we joined the Forum."
The group has been at the forefront of promoting accessible vehicles. The TXI taxi has an integral ramp for wheelchair access, integral induction loop and swivel seat. 
Chairman Ian Pickering said design features increased access for everyone: "Most people use the grab handles inside our taxis and don't think twice about their being yellow, yet the colour is in high contrast to the rest of the cab so increases visibility. You could call this a special disability feature, but to my mind it's just good design." 
He added that membership of the Forum would allow the group to further enhance its products and increase company value.

Barclays to invest £pound;1.4m in partnership with RNID
Barclays is investing in IT training for disabled people through a £pound;1.4 million project with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). 
As part of its community sponsorship programme, Barclays has pledged the funds over a three-year period to help people with hearing impairments to develop the necessary IT skills to compete and progress in the current job market. 
Entitled 'Together IT works', the project will develop fully accredited and fully accessible part-time IT training courses. 
The courses will be delivered in partnership with colleges across the UK and offer full communication  support for deaf and hard of hearing people. 
RNID research shows that 19 per cent of profoundly and severely deaf people are unemployed, compared to 5 per cent of the general population. 
A separate part of the project will involve Barclays employees volunteering to assist and support deaf and hard of hearing people with professional development. Volunteers will be encouraged to act as mentors, initiate work shadowing schemes and offer work experience. 
Alice Wilcock, head of community affairs at Barclays, said the project would give people the opportunity to find out what the company was like as an employer and give staff the chance to engage with more people with a hearing impairment. 
Barclays is also supporting the Royal National Institute for the Blind's talk and support service, which offers telephone-based information and support to newly registered blind and partially sighted people at home. 
For more information contact Nicola Swan at Barclays on 020 7699 3553 or Alex Campbell at RNID on 020 7296 8136.

CIS puts a premium on equal-access recruitment
Forum member Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) is rolling out its project-led recruitment initiative, with 43 vacancies currently available and a programme of adjustments under way. 
CIS is working with the employment service, North West Disability Service, to develop 'Return to work', a bespoke scheme designed to enable disabled people to get back into the workplace. 
Initially the programme is focused on vacancies in the company's sales and service centre. Disabled candidates are assessed on the telephone and successful ones selected for a three-day training event. The aim is to develop interview skills, build confidence and increase business awareness. 
Candidates selected for the programme are guaranteed an interview and if successful are placed into a range of permanent positions. There are currently 43 vacancies within CIS's sales and service centre for candidates involved in the programme, with seven people now in post.
Earlier this year CIS launched a disability awareness training programme in conjunction with EqualAbility. The training was in three stages: train the trainer, training frontline staff and training for all staff via its social values and commitments facilitators.
As part of the disability programme a number of adjustments have been made to CIS offices across the country. These accommodate a wide range of disabilities and include voice recognition for computers, portable hearing loops, Braille and large-print documents.
With the help of Sue Maynard Campbell at EqualAbility, CIS has also begun to redesign counters at its district, regional and claims offices. The new design includes a pull-out shelf with easy-glide runners and a dark-blue baseboard in contrast to the pale wood finish to help visually impaired customers. 
CIS hosted a Forum regional event in Leicester this year. It was attended by over 100 people, including Forum chief executive Susan Scott-Parker, Associate Phil Friend and Paul Newman of PosAbility. 
Speaking at the Leicester event, CIS facilities manager Martin Rooney said: "Not only does CIS have a duty to ensure equal access to employment, it is up to all businesses across the UK to influence the job market and ensure that all groups of people are represented within the workplace."
For more information contact Martin Rooney on 0161 832 8686

Message from the chief executive
Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive of the Employers' Forum on Disability, on the business case for including disability in the diversity debate:
Globalisation has accelerated and reinforced the need to embrace diversity - increasingly recognised as a key factor in improving efficiency, productivity and overall business success. Yet disability, a highly significant element of the diversity debate, is all too often overlooked. 
The new economy has the potential to facilitate direct contact between business leaders and disabled people in a way that could lead to much more creative, productive and inclusive partnership in the future. 
The potential benefits are considerable: improvements to community and commercial infrastructure, which benefit disabled people, their families and friends, make it easier for everyone to be economically active and valued as citizens. 
But the rules of engagement will have to change! The capacity of business to benefit from the potential of disabled employees, consumers and shareholders is hampered by outdated structures. These are based on assumptions which position disabled people as somehow naturally excluded, and as a sector of society best dealt with by business not directly but via well-intentioned intermediaries such as government departments. 
The business response to disability has not tended to be partnership but philanthropy. The new economy opens up new, more direct and powerful channels, which empower disabled people to contribute directly. 
Business will need to make it possible to engage directly and channel resources directly to disabled people directly as individuals. 
The Forum is committed to fostering this fresh approach to partnership which involves building new relationships between business leaders and individuals with disabilities. In this issue we highlight this approach, based on an understanding of the business case for embracing diversity (see p8) and of the process of step-by-step implementation of policies and practice to become a disability confident organisation.
Barclays is working with the RNID to provide training and mentoring for people with hearing impairments (see p3). The initiative will enable Barclays staff to learn more about disability and provide disabled individuals with opportunities to develop the skills they need to compete in the job market. BT's funding of disability and computing organisation AbilityNet's new training centre in London will enable more employers and disabled people in the capital to access information about adapted computer equipment (see p5). 
Meanwhile Gold Card Group members such as Consignia, Camelot, Inland Revenue and B&Q are among those to have participated in the 'Dining with a difference' initiative, which brings together business leaders and disabled people in an informal environment to create long-term shifts in corporate culture.
To launch the Forum's 10th anniversary in June, Forum member Centrica brought together business leaders and disabled entrepreneurs for an awareness-raising day on the  SS Lord Nelson (one of the only two accessible tall sailing ships in the world). The aim of the day was to challenge assumptions on all sides and o push forward the commitment to tackle disability at the most senior level within industry. Forum members also have extensive experience of commissioning disabled experts and advisers in areas such as access and architecture, working in partnership with Forum Associates to effect real change. 
The Forum continues to support this partnership approach and to this end, I am pleased to announce that Lucy Aspinall has been appointed to lead on the establishment of our leadership foundation. The foundation will build on Coverdale's extensive experience in diagnosing and nurturing the potential of disabled social and wealth-creating entrepreneurs. 
Experience shows that communication and awareness raising alone has limited effect. It is essential to reinforce the process by bringing together business leaders and disabled people. 
The Forum's role is to facilitate precisely that kind of relationship building. 
This article is based in part on 'Disability and the new economy in the UK' by Susan Scott-Parker, which appeared in The Copenhagen Centre's publication, 'Perspectives on the new economy of corporate citizenship'.  For more information, contact the Copenhagen Centre on  +45 3392 9443 or visit its website at www.copenhagencentre.org.

BT funds north London computer training centre 
BT has funded the disability and computing organisation Ability-Net's first London-based assessment and training centre.
AbilityNet is a charity providing services to help people whose disabilities make it difficult for them to use standard computer equipment. It aims to show employers and disabled people that computers can be used comfortably and productively by almost anyone if they have the right adaptive solution.
The centre is AbilityNet's eighth technology resource and is based in one of BT's operational premises in Islington, north London. Like other AbilityNet centres, it will assess people's needs in the workplace or home; as part of the UK-wide AbilityNet organisation, it will also provide a free helpline, demonstrate adapted computer equipment and offer training, technical support and awareness education for employers and professionals. 
Last year AbilityNet handled more than 15,000 enquiries from disabled people and those supporting them. The company provides consultancy for employers on system and workstation adaptations, as well as website accessibility. 
The London centre was opened by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who spent an hour trying out equipment - including voice recognition technology and a head mouse - and meeting representatives from members of the Forum and their guests. 
For further information contact AbilityNet on 01926 312847, e-mail at enquiries@abilitynet.co.uk. Freephone helpline: 0800 269545

A new commitment for London
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has outlined its commitment to disability and is consulting a wide range of organisations, including the Forum, in a bid to improve services across the capital. 
Several commitments around disability were highlighted at a question time session held earlier this year to provide deaf and hard of hearing people with a forum. Organised by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the event's panellists included GLA senior policy adviser Lee Jasper and Ansel Wong of the London Health Commission. 
Forum member GLA has already recognised British Sign Language as a minority language; it is now consulting on how to develop strategies and implement change across the spectrum of disability. It has also set a target of between 6 and 9 per cent of its workforce being disabled so that it is representative of Londoners. 
Valerie Shawcross, chair of the GLA's London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), said her authority was drawing up proposals to provide disability equality training to all 6,000 fire fighters in the London Fire Brigade. 
A £pound;5 million programme is also under way to upgrade all fire stations and other premises owned by LFB over three years to ensure disabled people have full access.
Toby Harris, chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, reiterated the force's commitment to deaf awareness training to be extended to more London boroughs. 
Chair of the Transport Policy Committee Lynne Featherstone highlighted the need to incorporate visual communication into transport provision. 
Loudspeaker messages on the Underground will be supported by visual messages, she said. It is also hoped that this information will be available on London's buses. 
The panel agreed that the London Health Commission, which is part of the GLA, should make recommendations and influence the NHS via a partnership approach. 
RNID chief executive James Strachan said: "It would be a tremendous benefit if doctors were better taught how to look at people, how to speak clearly, how to repeat things on occasion if there isn't an interpreter present."
For more information contact RNID on 0808 808 0123 or textphone 0808 808 9000. 

Access facilities improved at capital's museums
The Imperial War Museum has unveiled improved study facilities for members of the public with disabilities.
The improvements have been made to the museum's Lambeth Road library and archive based in south London. Previously the Reading Room had been positioned high up under the dome of the 19th century building, with access only by a flight of steep stairs. 
A more accessible room is now available for wheelchair users and others unable to use the stairs. To facilitate wheelchair access, the doorway has been widened and new double doors fitted. 
Four new workstations have also been installed, offering computer access to the museum's catalogues. There are also telephones for contacting museum staff, a cord-pull emergency alarm and separate reading lights at each desk. 
Peter Kinselley, support services manager at the Imperial War Museum said the improvements meant that disabled people would find the facility more pleasant and convenient to use.
Meanwhile the British Museum's Great Court development has improved disabled access to the main galleries. The scheme has doubled public space in the museum. 
The British Museum has installed adjustable desks for disabled visitors; a bank of computers feature a text reader which allows visitors to access written material from the library through earphones. The venue has also installed speech synthesisers to translate text on computer screens to speech.

Unum aims to develop integrated approach
Insurance services group Unum has launched a programme to pool the UK's disability expertise and develop an integrated approach to the issues affecting disabled people. 
Unum has allocated £pound;500,000 over the next three years to play its part in its 'New beginnings' programme. 
The strategy is based on three pillars, outlined at Unum's symposium on disability held in March. The first is that a new paradigm of disability must be created around an empowerment model, at the same time convincing people that other models of disability impose attitudinal and therefore physical barriers to equality. The second is strong individual case management to bring about a successful return to work. The final is positioning employment as the key to the restoration of self-esteem, economic participation and social inclusion. 
Unum commissioned four experts to develop thinking around these aims, including Disability Matters founder Dr Stephen Duckworth. In his paper on the disabled person's perspective, Dr Duckworth calls the current situation "morally and economically indefensible" and suggests that improved retention and rehabilitation programmes will help reduce the cost of income protection policies. 
For more information contact Joanne Hindle on 01306 644794,  e-mail joanne.hindle@unum.co.uk

New textphone service launched
Gold Card Group member BT has teamed up with RNID Typetalk to launch TextDirect, a telephone service to enable deaf people to speak to hearing people via a textphone.
A five-digit prefix informs the exchange that a call is being made to or from a textphone. The textphone user types conversation and an operator reads it to the hearing person, who responds verbally. The operator types up this response and relays it to the textphone. 
A new buyers guide to textphone services is available from research charity, Ricability. 
For more information contact Ricability on 020 7427 2460. 

Break the sound barrier
Employers, disability professionals and politicians are being invited to participate in this year's 'Breaking the sound barrier' event on deaf awareness.
Organised by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), it takes place on 19 October and features an employment and training village where employers will be advised in a role-playing environment on recruiting staff with hearing loss. 
 An interactive technology and learning zone will provide demonstrations and seminars on the latest developments and innovations helping deaf and hard of hearing people in the workplace. 
For more information contact RNID on 0808 808 0123 or textphone 0808 808 9000. 

Strong team at new department
Paul Newman, co-ordinator of the Forum's New Deal Network, provides a round-up on the New Deal for disabled people:
The biggest step forward for the New Deal is that, under the new government's Work and Pensions Department, high priority is to be given to getting people with disabilities into employment. 
With the appointment of Nick Brown as minister for work, Malcolm Wicks having responsibility for people on incapacity benefit and Maria Eagle as disability minister, there is no shortage in Alastair Darling's new team of ministerial attention to disability and working with employers.
n The Forum's guide to project-led recruitment is due for publication later this year and we are grateful to Centrica for providing sponsorship. It will provide a step-by-step look at how the company's initiative was set up and offers a practical guide to structuring projects in partnership with the Employment Service.. 
The approach to hiring significant numbers of disabled people is now being used extensively in the north west of England; examples include the Co-operative Insurance Society project in Manchester (see news, page 3). 
€ Later this year the government will launch a nationwide network of brokers supporting people on incapacity benefit into employment, and by the end of the year there will be a significant number of 'Pathfinder' Job Centre Plus offices throughout the country. 
These centres will combine the work of the Benefits Agency with job centres and will help unemployed people receive benefits while giving them appropriate support into work. The agency's new chief executive, Leigh Lewis, is keen to establish strong links with employers and establish a clear understanding of their requirements.
€ The Exeter-based St Loyes Transformation project has now helped around 200 disabled employees at risk of their losing their jobs. The service is now being offered on a commercial basis to employers and insurance companies.
For further information contact Paul Newman on 01162 311861.

A different kind of dinner date
The organisers of a novel disability awareness raising initiative aimed at employers are urging more companies to become involved. 
'Dining with a difference' is the brainchild of Churchill & Friend's Phil Friend, Grass Roots Group's Stephen Lloyd and James Partridge of Changing Faces. The idea is based around a dinner, where senior executives are invited to listen to mini-presentations and take part in a quiz, with the aim of learning more about disability and challenging attitudes and assumptions. 
Host companies can also invite representatives of organisations like the Forum or voluntary organisations to take part in the dinner. The initiative aims to create long-term shifts in corporate culture towards disability by facilitating contact between business leaders and disabled people, particularly disabled people who are leaders and entrepreneurs in their own right. 
'Dining with a difference' was launched with an event hosted by the Forum and Consignia (formerly the Post Office) in April. Unum hosted the latest dinner on 17 July. 
Consignia provided more than £pound;30,000 sponsorship to cover the initial research, design and development of 'Dining with a difference'. 
Forum members interested in hosting a 'Dining with a difference' event should contact Henrietta Spalding, project manager, on 07939 541830. 

PROFILE
BT's Becky Mason tells Clare Conley why workplace diversity makes sound business sense
While she is keen to work on a range of equality and diversity issues in her role as an employment policy consultant for BT, Becky Mason understandably does not want to be stereotyped as a token disabled person. "I want to be seen first and foremost as an HR professional," she says.
Becky, now aged 28 and a wheelchair user since she sustained a spinal injury in a car accident 11 years ago, joined BT as a human resources manager in 1996. It was her first job after graduating with a masters degree in industrial relations taken alongside the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) qualification from Warwick Business School. 
While applying for jobs Becky had been apprehensive about competing in the job market as a disabled person, so she had targeted companies which she perceived to be good equal opportunities employers. Part of this was to do with the overall branding and image of a company, according to Becky, but she also looked at those involved in the Employment Service's 'two ticks' scheme guaranteeing an interview to disabled people meeting the minimum criteria for a post. "I felt that there would be fewer barriers to overcome," she adds.
Becky was manager of BT's HR helpdesk in Milton Keynes where a team of 11 people handled 2,000 calls a week from BT's 130,000 employees. At the time, calls relating to equal opportunities issues were diverted to a separate helpline. When the opportunity to work on the HR policy team came up two years ago, Becky jumped at the chance to gain experience in a different HR discipline and on issues she had always been interested in both from a personal and professional perspective. While happy to contribute to work on disability issues - she helped run BT's nationwide AccessAbility roadshows, a series of workshops and events where employees can discuss barriers and ways of overcoming them - Becky steered away from the disability side of equal opportunities, fearing stereotyping. 
"I have done a lot of work on the issue of work/life balance and developed an internal statement about race equality. Most recently  I have been involved in developing company-wide strategy and policies relating to age including flexible retirement options such as part-time working or pre-retirement secondment opportunities," explains Becky.
BT is involved in a variety of disability projects though and is soon to embark on the next phase of its Supplier Diversity project aiming to encourage businesses owned by people with disabilities to participate in BT's procurement process, bringing new contacts and potential new business. In addition, a campaign encouraging people to declare if they have a disability is soon to be relaunched and Able2, BT's network for disabled staff, is undertaking a number of activities to raise both its own visibility and that of disability.
After working at BT for four years, Becky sees it as a good workplace for disabled people. She says: "It's generally very good, there is an inclusive attitude and everyone has always wanted to accommodate my needs rather than put up barriers."
As an active member of the Gold Card Group, BT has worked very closely with the Forum for a number of years, and according to Becky it is a partnership relationship in which BT gains support and advice. Recent joint initiatives include BT sponsoring and hosting the launch of 'Unlocking the evidence' and providing case studies for the Independent Living Fund campaign.
Discussing disability in a wider sense, Becky says legislation has forced employers in general to take it more seriously but she still has concerns about the provision of benefits for disabled people and the provision of personal care. "Some disabled people need affordable personal care to allow them to get to work. Not having it can build a barrier and then that lowers expectations of disabled people," she explains. "Society itself has come a long way but it still needs to do more to embrace people with differences."
Buying a property that could be easily adapted for a wheelchair user when she moved to London to take up her post in the policy HR team threw up unforeseen complications for Becky. Surprised at the lack of advice available, she decided to get involved with the running of two voluntary organisations - the Spinal Injuries Association and the Back-Up Trust which encourages spinal injured people to become independent through sporting activities. Becky is now vice-chair of SIA and a trustee of the Back-Up Trust. "I decided you can only change things from inside," she adds.
Becky had sustained a spinal injury which means all four limbs are affected. Her rehab programme at Odstock Spinal Unit, near Salisbury included physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and Becky found that she could do more than a lot of people with that level of injury and "had a great time" at the unit during her 13-month stay. 
Having enjoyed sports prior to the accident, Becky was keen to continue with active pursuits and later went skiing with Back-Up while at university. This gave her a boost as she was adapting to her new situation. "It was such a great experience - it boosted my sense of morale, achievement and independence," says Becky. 
On leaving the unit she returned to school to complete her A-levels, then went to study for a BSc in mathematics at Warwick University, encouraged by a senior tutor in his role as 'access officer' and assisted by community service volunteers.
Taking a key role in running Back-Up and the SIA enables Becky to provide BT with first-hand information on the reality faced by people with spinal cord injuries. Equally her work at BT assists her with the governance of the charities and enables her to provide an insight into business ethos and ethics.
As she points out, it is advantageous to both parties, not least because it provides BT with an understanding of a group of disabled people who are potentially a valuable source of new recruits!
Back-Up Trust is currently looking for new corporate buddy partners. For details contact Jennifer Pearce on 020 8875 1805.

Police disability network
Forces prepare for extension of DDA
Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) is currently engaged in a programme to incorporate awareness of disability issues into its inspection protocols.
HMIC is conducting a thematic inspection on the subject of visibility and accessibility; this will examine whether issues such as disability, race and gender are taken into consideration as part of forces' staff recruitment and retention, and service delivery. 
The move follows a call earlier this year by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) for managers to stop ducking the issue and "face up to disability in the police service".
Simon Minty of disability consultancy Churchill and Friend is involved on behalf of the Police Disability Network in reviewing HMIC's existing protocols, with a view to further improvement. 
It is hoped that all inspection protocols will include disability-related questions around issues like accessibility of literature or staff monitoring. 
Plans to extend the Disability Discrimination Act to cover the police, fire and prison services were announced in March by the then minister for disabled people, Margaret Hodge. She commented: "Physically demanding jobs, like nurses and ambulance crews, are already covered by the act and it hasn't led to the recruitment of people who are clearly unsuited to such posts."
ACPO said extension would clarify the way forces deal with the recruitment of disabled people and the way that they deal with officers who become disabled while in  service. 
"We welcome the extension of the DDA. It will require us to establish very clearly what the requirements are to be an effective police officer and also assist in ensuring that police officers do not have o retire early unnecessarily," a spokesperson said.
Chief Inspector Janice McClean of the Police Disability Network said: "The network has been working with HMIC at different levels to put disability on the agenda. We welcome their action as it demonstrates commitment to both disabled police staff and members of the public with disabilities." 
For further information contact Chief Inspector Janice McClean on 020 7403 3020.

W Midlands in Employment Service link
West Midlands Police is working with the Employment Service to attract more people with disabilities to the force. 
West Midlands teamed up with the Employment Service at the end of last year for a series of presentations to raise awareness of support staff positions available and to provide information on the recruitment process. 
Workshops were run in parallel with the presentations to give advice on completion of application forms and interview skills. Senior recruitment officer Jan Smith said the events were aimed at giving disabled people the chance "to realise their full potential".
For further information contact Jan Smith on 0121 6265000 ext 2387.

Northumbrian initiative
Northumbria Police is aiming to improve service delivery by producing a series of briefing notes on disability issues and publishing them in its in-house magazine, Grapevine. 
Hearing and visual impairments are among the subjects to be covered. It is hoped that the briefings will also be made available on the force's intranet. 
The briefings are an initiative of the force's community safety department.
For further information contact Chief Inspector Judith Common on 01661 872555. 
ACPO draws up a six-point plan
Providing quality services to people with disabilities and older people is the theme of a new publication to be launched this autumn by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in association with the Police Disability Network. 
The manual will include a six-point plan to help forces implement service delivery; updates on legislation and codes of practice; and information on specific disabilities. Also included is a list of useful organisations including local contacts. ACPO hopes that the manual will be made available to all control rooms in an electronic format.
Chief constable of Lincolnshire, Richard Childs, has led work on the draft manual under the auspices of ACPO's race and community relations committee. 
A range of organisations including the Forum, the Police Disability Network and charities such as Mencap and the RNID were consulted for the project. 
The final version will be published following review by the Disability Rights Commission. 
Katherine Impey, equal opportunities adviser for Lincolnshire, said she hoped the manual would heighten awareness of disability issues generally and give forces more tools to address them. 
For further information contact Katherine Impey on 01522 558991.

Met plans for more BSL interpreters
Disability made its debut on the agenda of the Metropolitan Police Service's third annual diversity conference held in April.
Over 500 delegates attended the event, 'Protect and respect: everybody benefits', which took place at London's Queen Elizabeth II centre. 
While race issues were high on the agenda, disability had a visible profile with representation from organisations like the Forum and facial disfigurement charity Changing Faces. 
Cathy Wheatley, equal opportunities adviser at Changing Faces, was among the panellists at the afternoon session chaired by broadcaster George Aligiah. 
Responding to a question from the floor on how the force could outlaw patronising attitudes, Wheatley told delegates that knowledge was the key. "Know-ledge gives you awareness of issues like discrimination," she said.
Addressing the conference, Toby Harris, chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said diversity was "an opportunity and a positive challenge for us all to welcome and grasp."
Harris has pledged that more Metropolitan police officers will be encouraged to learn British Sign Language. Speaking at a Greater London Assembly debate in March, he said: "I will make sure that the considerations for a rota of BSL interpreters available on call to the Met are followed up."
MPS recently held an open day for members of the Police Disability Network to view prototypes of an accessible front office and cell complex at its former forensic  laboratories in Lambeth, south London. 
For further information contact Chief Superintendent Steve Lovelock on 020 7230 2287.

'Unlocking the evidence'
The talent that's out there just waiting to be tapped
Employing disabled people can bring both operational and longer-term strategic business gains, write Simon Zadek and Susan Scott-Parker
Managing a diverse workforce is increasingly recognised as a key factor in improving efficiency, productivity and overall business success. Globalisation has accelerated and reinforced the need to embrace diversity. 
A highly significant element of the diversity debate is disability. There are over 8.7 million disabled people in the UK alone, making up a large and growing proportion of employees, existing and potential customers, stakeholders and indeed shareholders. 
However, by 2004, 40 per cent of the UK population will be over 45, the age at which the incidence of disability begins to increase significantly. Currently 33 per cent of people aged over 55 have some form of disability. Disability is becoming a business and critical imperative. 
The business case for employing disabled people is compelling; their performance and contribution far outweigh the relatively inexpensive (and often government-funded) adjustments which may be necessary. Knowledge of the needs and expectation of a growing sector of the market combined with enhanced morale and people management systems are tangible benefits for companies who are good employers of disabled people. 
'Unlocking the evidence', which was sponsored by BT, presents the arguments that go beyond simple cost benefit analysis. It offers a long-term strategic case integrated into, and consistent with, the broader diversity perspective; a case that is sufficiently powerful to challenge the deep-rooted assumptions which currently prevent potential business benefits from being realised. 
Negative impact Exclusion from the workplace has a negative impact on individuals, places a financial cost on society and a tax burden on business, hence affecting profitability and competitiveness. So disability is clearly a strategic risk and opportunity for every business. 
In future the most successful companies will be those that enable everyone to channel their skills, experience and energies towards business success, recognise and welcome a diverse customer and stakeholder base, and thereby appeal to the increasingly discerning investor. 
The most successful societies will be those that most effectively meet the dual challenges of social cohesion and economic competitiveness. 
Trust and commitment between businesses and their stakeholders will underpin tomorrow's successful companies. Intangible assets make up a high and growing proportion of a company's market value. These assets include reputation and value with key stakeholders, internal and network-based knowledge, and the capacity of management to compete and navigate through increasingly complex environments.
The core message of the new disability business case is that employing disabled people can enhance business. Businesses that embrace diversity will be able to:
€ access untapped talent
€ open up new markets
€ improve operational efficiency through reduced costs, lower turnover, improved service delivery and minimised litigation
€ promote new sources of ideas, creativity and problem-solving
€ enhance reputation and loyalty both internally and from external stakeholders and customers
€ build brand loyalty and distinctiveness by valuing all customers and employees as individuals.
Creating an enabling environment for disabled people is integral to any business strategy that recognises the need to value 'difference'. Organisations which are able to empower disabled employees through creative and flexible adjustments to the work environment will find it easier to empower the contribution of every employee and potential employee. 

The strategic economic case
The social costs linked to the exclusion of disabled people from the workplace undermine business competitiveness. In addition there is the negative impact of exclusion on individuals, their families and the communities in which they live.
There is an enormous loss to society of the productive capacities of disabled people who cannot find employment or whose jobs do not fully exploit their potential. Of the 5.2 million disabled people of working age in the UK, 2.4 million are out of work. 
UK annual state expenditure on benefits to disabled people has grown by 3.5 per cent a year throughout the 1990s to its current level of £pound;24.3 billion (1998-9). This figure is expected to have grown by a further £pound;1.7 billion by 2001-2.

So why are people unconvinced?
Substantial evidence supports the view that many businesses have yet to reap the potential rewards. Most business managers, including many in public sector and non-profit organisations, remain unconvinced that disabled people can enhance their overall business performance. 
One typical survey of attitudes towards non-disabled people found that 47 per cent sensed fear of disabled people, with a further 25 per cent actually feeling resentment and anger. 
Another survey found that 32 per cent of people believe wheelchair users are less intelligent. Lack of personal contact reinforces stereotypes. 
The challenge The challenge is to overcome a disabling environment so that everyone can contribute to, and gain from, organisations that base their competitive advantage on an inclusive approach. Unfortunately the standard set of statistics and arguments which comprise the traditional business case, designed to influence employers to recruit and retain disabled people on merit, is not persuasive. 
Discrimination against disabled people, based on assumptions regarding their potential, continues to restrict their work opportunities and limit unnecessarily their contribution to the economy overall. 
Technology and the new economy present both opportunities and challenges. The potential for disabled people to contribute to future business success will be deeply affected by shifts in workplace and overall business practices. 
Many of these operational changes will be driven by technology which, while it offers new opportunities for access, may also reinforce exclusion.
Demands for new skills will place increased pressures on disabled people (and indeed other groups) who have been excluded historically. 
Business alone will be unable to create the enabling environment required if significantly more disabled people are to contribute to tomorrow's company. 
Building an enabling environment will require the combined forces of business, government and non-profit organisations. 
Equation of success Successful organisations monitor and meet shifts in societal expectations. They control risks and anticipate market opportunities. They effectively mobilise the expertise and creative processes that enable them to play an active role in moulding the complex, dynamic world around them. Disability is a part of this equation of success. 
Organisations with insight, will and know-how will gain an edge through access to a growing spending power, a pool of skills and talents and the support of disabled people as shareholders and stakeholders. 
For these organisations, disabled people can and want to be a part of that equation of success. 
Dr Simon Zadek is chair of the Institute of Social and Ethical Accountability. Susan Scott-Parker is chief executive of the Forum. 
'Unlocking the evidence' is available from the Forum on  020 7403 3020.

Gold card case studies
Job applicants used to receive a medical examination if they were applying for management positions, were disabled or did not complete the health declaration on the application form. 
In November 1993, Barclays reviewed total sickness over the previous two years for a random sample of 200 disabled and 200 non-disabled staff. The survey showed that disabled staff on average had eight days absence over the period, compared to an average of 10 days for non-disabled staff. 
The company could not find any correlation between disclosure on the health declaration and subsequent sickness absence, so it was considered unnecessary to continue to give medicals to such large numbers of job applicants. During 1995, far fewer medicals were undertaken with no adverse impact on absentee levels.
Centrica recruited 50 disabled people as part of a Welfare to Work project in Manchester. HR director Richard Bide says Centrica plans to continue to employ disabled people because it has seen the following benefits:
€ motivated and high-performing staff
€ reduced staff turnover
€ a workforce which better reflects its customer base
€ raised awareness across the company of issues affecting disabled people, carers and the long-term unemployed
€ managers are more skilled in recruiting and managing a diverse workforce
€ enhanced corporate reputation. 
principal business benefits
€ the personal performance of disabled people using traditional measures of efficiency and productivity
€ the general performance of the company that recruits, retains and develops disabled employees, particularly through better people management systems, the long-term business impact of reputational gains and the positive impact of employing disabled people on other employees' morale and motivation 
€ disabled employees can help companies access the significant market of disabled consumers, their families and friends.
Source: Unlocking the Evidence, 2001

Next steps
For business:
€ ensure that high-level business strategies explicitly set out to realise the potential of disabled people to contribute to business performance
€ engage in a systematic process of overcoming deep-rooted prejudices about disabled people within their organisations and society generally
For government:
€ monitor the outcomes (not just compliance) of recent legislation, particularly the DDA, for both disabled people and business
€ build an enabling environment within own institutions to improve ability to effectively understand and address the needs of business and of disabled people
For non-profits:
€ develop an understanding of business needs so enhancing their capacity as intermediaries to support access to work opportunities
€ work with other stakeholders to enhance the leadership potential of disabled people as social and wealth-creating entrepreneurs.
Source: Unlocking the Evidence, 2001

Fact box
There are 8.7 million disabled people in the UK
Only 3% are born with a disability 
33% of over-55s have a disability
5.1 million people with disabilities are of working age 
2 million disabled people are  in work
Only 4 per cent of disabled people of working age require additional aids in the workplace or need health related treatment that would interfere with their work
Disabled people are six times as likely as non-disabled people to be out of work
58 per cent of disabled people in work earn less than £pound;10,000 a year, compared to the national average of 30 per cent
Source: DfEE

'Promoting change'
The absolute basics of the business case for change
The key to changing the way people think about disability is knowledge of the basics and beyond. A new publication from the Forum offers a step-by-step guide for anyone responsible for culture and policy change programmes within their organisation
"If our organisation is to become truly disability confident, who needs to know what, as an absolute minimum?" That is the question facing many UK companies and one that the Forum's latest publication, 'Promoting change', attempts to answer. 
The guide spells out who needs to know what, by function and department, making it a must-read for department heads as well as employment services and voluntary organisations wanting to advise employers on how to structure change. 
The business case for positioning disability as a diversity, equal opportunities, employment, customer care and marketing priority is compelling. However, people can find it difficult to approach disability in a business-like way, often holding dated, negative views due to lack of personal experience and relevant information. 
The facts
In order to change the way people think about disability and gain  genuine benefit from getting it right, organisations need to communicate some key messages and basic facts. 
'Promoting change' makes that process easier. Sponsored by Railtrack, the publication aims to help those seeking to raise disability awareness to understand what it is that everyone needs to know. These absolute basics are described as the ABCs:
A -- the business and ethical case
B -- some facts about disability 
C -- the law. 
The business case for prioritising disability issues is a powerful one. Disabled people in work tend to have better attendance records, stay with employers longer and have fewer accidents than their non-disabled colleagues. 
On the customer front, the minimum spending power of disabled people in the UK is estimated by the Institute of Employment Studies at £pound;45-50 billion in 2000 - equivalent to 10 per cent of the UK's total annual domestic consumption. 
Most of the UK's 8.7 million disabled people have impairments that are not obvious, for example 95 per cent of them do not use a wheelchair. It is often the physical and attitudinal barriers that disadvantage the person more than their physical or mental impairment. 
The legal case is also compelling. The DDA aims to make it possible for disabled people to contribute at work and ensure full access for disabled people as consumers and citizens. The legislation, which affects virtually everyone in any type of organisation, is enforceable through the courts and is backed by the Disability Rights Commission. 
Beyond the basics
Everyone needs to know the basics but in addition, for example:
€ board members should know how others, including competitors, are responding to disability in the UK and globally
€ HR professionals should be able to explain the support available, through the Employment Service's Access to Work funding 
€ legal advisers should be aware of the range of adjustments possible and the external expertise available 
€ IT managers should know how to minimise the number of employees who become disabled as a result of poor workstation and IT systems design
€ community affairs/corporate social responsibility personnel should include disabled people when undertaking social audits and incorporate disability awareness into ethical employment policies. 
Experience has shown, however, that communication and awareness raising alone will have a very limited effect. Organisations need to understand why people find this new business-like approach to disability so difficult to accept. 
Changing behaviour
Many people do not see disabled people as individuals and focus exclusively on impairments or diagnosis, in effect defining people solely by their disabilities. For example, an accountant who develops epilepsy becomes an 'epileptic' - her accountancy skills are disregarded. 
Assumptions need to be challenged; behaviour needs to change. It's essential to reinforce the process by bringing people in the organisation together with disabled people directly.
Getting the message across involves helping people to understand what the organisation expects of them in terms of attitude and behaviour and where they can turn for advice and support. 
Positive messages about inclusion and mutual benefit can help organisations to reinforce change. Demonstrating your organisation's commitment can take different forms, from ensuring that disabled people are actively involved in the change process to letters of personal thanks from senior managers to supervisors who have made adjustments and demonstrated a commitment to the organisation's policy goals. 
The Forum will continue to help members by facilitating networking events which help organisations to share experiences. 
'Promoting change' is available from the Forum on 020 7403 3020. 

How to tell if you're winning
You will know you are winning when internal surveys show colleagues:
€ describe disability as a business issue that relates to equal opportunities and valuing diversity
€ expect to be treated fairly should they become disabled while working for the organisation
€ expect to be valued for recruiting disabled people and making adjustments
€ are able to describe the organisation's policy regarding disability and explain this to customers and other stakeholders.


In the courts
Appeal tribunal decisions show value of employee perspective
The Forum's part-time legal adviser, Bela Gor, reviews two recent disability-related cases that highlight the importance of consultation 
Both the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) and the Court of Appeal have recently considered cases where employers have argued that less favourable treatment of a disabled person was justified on health and safety grounds.
Adjustments for an employee with back problems The first case, Morgan v London Borough of Islington, concerned an architect who had been offered a job on a 12-month contract by the borough. Mr Morgan had a back problem and had been advised to lie down for 23 out of 24 hours. He therefore wanted to work lying down and said he could draw and operate a computer in this position. The job offer was provisional on medical clearance. The borough's occupational health adviser and a spinal surgeon concluded that lying down to do his work could be detrimental to Mr Morgan's health because he would be lying on his side on a couch in a twisted position to use the keyboard or do his paperwork. The job offer was withdrawn. The borough told Mr Morgan that it had to withdraw the offer because of its obligations under health and safety legislation but said that if he could come up with a proposal for working differently they might be able to reconsider.
Mr Morgan brought a claim for disability discrimination before the Employment Tribunal. At the hearing the borough accepted that it had treated Mr Morgan less favourably for a reason relating to his disability by withdrawing the job offer but that this was justified on health and safety grounds. It cited its medical advice to prove justification. The Employment Tribunal accepted the borough's justification argument but Mr Morgan appealed to the EAT. He was successful because the occupational health adviser:
€ had not asked Mr Morgan to demonstrate his working position
€ had not discussed the position in any detail with Mr Morgan even though he had made it clear that he could carry out his job without any difficulties and had done so since 1996
€ had not contacted an employee of another organisation who had the same impairment and worked in the same way, as suggested by Mr Morgan
€ had not specified exactly how working lying down would be detrimental.
The borough might have been justified in its treatment of Mr Morgan on health and safety grounds if its medical advisers had done all of the above but at the time when the job offer was withdrawn it had no good evidence to prove justification.
This case emphasises the need for managers to check that medical advisers have properly examined and consulted the individual and considered the particular circumstances of the case before acting on the advice of those medical advisers.

Health and safety policies 
The second case is the Court of Appeal decision in Jones v The Post Office. Mr Jones was diagnosed as having insulin dependant diabetes in 1997. The Post Office's policy at that time was that anyone who received insulin treatment was not fit to continue with any driving duties for the business. Mr Jones brought a complaint of disability discrimination and the Post Office reconsidered its policy. It determined, after taking medical advice, that Mr Jones would be able to return to limited driving duties provided that these did not exceed two hours in any 24-hour period. In addition, the Post Office specified that he should: 
1 -be allowed time to take appropriate steps to control his diabetes, such as monitoring his blood sugar and taking additional meal breaks as necessary; 
2 -be given flexibility to limit his driving should he feel unwell; 
3 -present himself for a review of his medical condition at least every six months.
Mr Jones accepted the above conditions but maintained that the continued restriction on his driving was still discriminatory. The Post Office accepted that the restriction was less favourable treatment but argued that they were justified because they were acting on medical advice. Mr Jones had medical advice that contradicted this and so argued that the Post Office was not justified. 
He was successful before the Employment Tribunal who preferred his medical expert's evidence which was based on the latest research but which had not been put to the Post Office before the Tribunal hearing. 
Risk assessments The case was then appealed to the EAT and eventually to the Court of Appeal both of which overturned the Employment Tribunal decision. The Court of Appeal held that, where an employer has undertaken a properly conducted risk assessment which:
€ provides a reason which is both material and substantial (the words in the DDA)
and
€ is not irrational, 
then the employer is entitled to rely on that reason (the risk assessment) to justify less favourable treatment.
The Court said "the tribunal cannot conclude that the reason is not material or substantial because the suitably qualified and competently expressed medical opinion, on the basis of which the employer's decision was made, was thought by them (the tribunal) to be inferior to a different medical opinion expressed to them." 
The Court of Appeal did go on to say that, if the employee disagrees with the employer's medical advice and produces evidence of his own which is shown to the employer, this must considered, ie the employer should conduct another risk assessment.
This is an important case for employers but it does not detract from the fact that the medical (or other expert) advice must be obtained from a properly qualified adviser who has seen and consulted the particular individual and considered his or her particular circumstances. Decisions or policies based on assumption or irrational criteria are still likely to be discriminatory because there will be no evidence or proof for the justification of less favourable treatment.
Bela Gor can be contacted at the Forum on 020 7403 3020. 

Briefing
Keep an open mind and forget the myths
Epilepsy is the subject of much fear and lack of knowledge. A new briefing paper from the Forum shows how organisations can benefit from employing people with epilepsy, the vast majority of whom have no problems at work.
Epilepsy is the nation's second most common neurological condition, affecting around 30,000 people in the UK. Yet a high level of misunderstanding surrounds the condition which can affect anyone, at any age and has a different effect on each individual.
Sponsored by Gold Card member Unum, the Forum's latest briefing paper dispels some of the myths surrounding epilepsy and equips employers with the know-ledge they need to support people with epilepsy in the workplace. 
'A practical guide to employment adjustments for people with epilepsy' provides advice and guidance to employers who already employ or wish to employ a person with epilepsy. It can also be given to employees so that, in discussion with their employer, they can identify their particular needs and adopt solutions which improve the working environment. 
At least 100 people are diagnosed with epilepsy each day; there are more than 40 different types of the condition, each having different effects. 
Although one in 20 people experience a seizure at some point, epilepsy is the tendency to experience recurring seizures. The condition affects one in 50 people at some point in their lives. Around 80 per cent of people with epilepsy have complete control over their seizures with medication, although some may have side effects, particularly when beginning medication. 
The vast majority of people with epilepsy have no problems at work; the employer may not even be aware that the person has epilepsy. 
In researching the guide, the Forum found that most people with epilepsy require very few adjustments. Disability awareness and keeping an open mind may be the only adjustments necessary. An employee with epilepsy will usually know what is required, so contact and consultation with the individual is vital. 
Some seizures are easily recognised, whereas others are less obvious. Just knowing that an employee or potential employee has epilepsy is not very helpful and provides little useful information, as seizures vary from a tiny flutter of the eyelids or momentary lapse of concentration ('absences') to a convulsive seizure ('tonic-clonic'), with many types in between. 
Usually consciousness is only lost during a tonic-clonic or a complex partial seizure. 
A knowledge of simple first-aid procedures, as outlined in the briefing paper, will help when someone loses consciousness. 
Risk assessment should take into account the impact of the epilepsy on each particular person in the context of the job they are doing. Where relevant, a person with epilepsy has a duty to inform his or her employer. However, employers should not assume that epilepsy will mean an increased health and safety risk, as this is not usually the case. 
Employers lose good employees when they fail to understand epilepsy and its real impact in the workplace. Don't make assumptions; establish the facts from the individual, or where necessary from medical professionals and consider the person's particular situation before deciding whether there will be limitations. 
Adjustments should be considered in light of a person's specific job. Examples include providing an anti-glare screen or special glasses to reduce glare from a computer screen and using ordinary lighting as opposed to fluorescent tubes, which flicker at high frequency. 
In most cases, the only reasonable adjustment required is your increased awareness and an acceptance of people who have epilepsy in the workplace. 
Briefing paper 12: A practical guide to employment adjustments for people with epilepsy is available from the Forum on 020 7403 3020. Forum members can order up to 80 copies free of charge. 

Breaking down the barriers
Employment was the theme of this year's National Epilepsy Week, which took place from 20-26 May. A national survey by the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) to coincide with the week found that 45 per cent of people with epilepsy have experienced prejudice at work, while more than a third believe they have lost a job because of the condition. Although a fifth of those surveyed say they no longer seek employment for fear of rejection, 30 per cent believe they have failed an interview as a direct result of mentioning their epilepsy. 
"Research has shown that people with epilepsy frequently have better than average work sickness records and good job loyalty records," says NSE spokeswoman Margaret Thomas. Research by the Joint Epilepsy Council shows that people with epilepsy have excellent safety records, so there should never be a problem with insuring an employee nor any additional cost to the employer. 
The NSE has produced two leaflets on epilepsy and employment for employers and employees. The employers' guide gives examples of good recruitment practice and information about staff awareness training; the guide for employees includes details of training courses and providers to help them access employment. 
They are available from www.epilepsyweek.org.uk or from the NSE's information department on 01494 601300. NSE helpline: 01494 601400. 

Gold Card Group profile
B&Q builds on diversity
During its decade of involvement with the Forum, Gold Card member B&Q has taken a proactive approach to understanding disability. Liza Ramrayka reports
Meeting the needs of its disabled customers and employing disabled people makes sound business sense to the UK's largest DIY retailer, B&Q, which picked up three awards last year for its diversity work. 
A Gold Card member since joining the Forum in 1991, B&Q was named Retail Week's employer of the year in 2000. It was also awarded the Business in the Community award for innovation in partnerships with disability organisations and, for the second time running, won an EASE award (ease of access, service and employment) from the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled People. 
B&Q employs around 30,000 people in its 300 stores and attracts some three million customers a week. 'Respect for people' is a keystone of its disability policy, which combines disability awareness training, in-store disability champions and partnerships with disability groups. The result has been a three-fold increase in the number of disabled employees over the past 18 months, taking the total to 1,400 or 5.8 per cent of the total workforce.
Collecting the evidence
B&Q conducted a survey of store managers and disabled employees at the end of last year to gauge their views on disability within the company. The recently released findings were encouraging: nearly 92 per cent of disabled employees said they would encourage disabled people to work for B&Q, while 94 per cent thought employing more disabled people would be good for the company. 
The survey of store managers found that 98 per cent thought employing more disabled people would be good for B&Q. Most (68 per cent) said they felt positive about working in a store with a large number of disabled people. 
B&Q began to investigate the business case for adopting a disability policy around four years ago when it appointed Kay Allen, now a Disability Rights Commissioner, as diversity manager. Prompted by the Disability Discrimination Act, it was keen not only to comply with all aspects of the legislation but also to respond proactively to the Act's spirit. Diversity co-ordinator Sue O'Neill explains: "The original aim was to employ more disabled people, but we realised that there was no point in doing that if the physical environment and company culture weren't right."
Aware that it was not seen as a major player in disability access and that its recruitment systems had not considered the needs of disabled applicants, B&Q set about developing a disability programme. 
Widespread consultation with staff, customers, disability experts and voluntary groups, including Scope, followed, with the aim of creating a sustainable policy covering employment, employee awareness, customer service, community partnerships, access and product design. 
O'Neill stresses that B&Q takes a holistic approach to diversity: "The measures introduced to help disabled customers and employees have formed a virtuous circle, with developments on the customer service side contributing to improving opportunities for disabled employees and vice versa." Wider store aisles that appeal to both wheelchair users and customers with pushchairs exemplify this. 
To complement improvements to the physical environment, B&Q enlisted the help of Forum Associate Phil Friend and Forum member Grass Roots to develop a disability awareness training package. To make the exercise more cost-effective, the company introduced a distance learning package based on a booklet and telephone test. Over 27,000 staff - around 85 per cent of the workforce - have now completed the package. Plans are in hand to integrate this training into its mainstream B&Q University and e-learning programmes.
Each store also nominates a disability champion, whose job it is to ensure that disability awareness retains a high profile. As well as providing support for store managers, champions also offer informal contact for disabled employees and a link to disabled people's organisations. 
Recruitment, promotion and retention procedures were reviewed to ensure they are more accessible for all, underlining B&Q's mainstream and inclusive approach to disability. This has been highlighted in the company's high-profile advertising campaign featuring disabled people. 
Reasonable adjustment is provided where appropriate; examples include vibrating pagers and textphones. Supported employment is also offered, although B&Q says the aim is for the person to progress into mainstream employment. 
Two years ago bricklayer Alan St John developed glaucoma which, coupled with lifelong cataracts, has resulted in him losing most of the sight in his right eye. He is now a full-time customer adviser working in the hardware department of B&Q's Blackburn store, where his knowledge of the building trade is put to good use. St John uses zoom text software to magnify on-screen stock enquiries and print labels. The adjustment means he can work independently and has resulted in him becoming the store's disability champion - which also led him to star in one of B&Q's TV ads. 
"Disabled people are often looked on as a liability even though they have huge experience to offer," he says. 
O'Neill says B&Q's sponsorship of last year's Forum's national event shows the company's ongoing commitment: "We were very pleased to be involved in the event. It's not enough to just sit back; you have to continue to take the initiative."
She adds that the fact that 88 per cent of B&Q's disabled employees think stereotypes still exist around disability means the job isn't over yet. "We still haven't got it right, but we're willing to listen and improve and react."
For further information contact Sue O'Neill on 023 8025 7338. 
Gold Card membership of the Employers' Forum can involve building a partnership and developing a bespoke programme, linked to the member's overall business strategy on employment and service provision. For further information contact Ian Hastie on 020 7403 3020.

Open to questions
Answers from the helpline
The Forum's information helpline is widely recognised as a major resource for employers. The information team answers many queries from employers and employees about the implications of the DDA with a view to establishing best practice, policies and procedures. In this regular feature we highlight some recurring concerns
Q A disabled customer has raised an issue about our policy on carers or personal assistants. We offer a discount to carers who come to the cinema with disabled customers and charge them £pound;2 a ticket (less than half the normal price) on production of a 'carer card' to prove that they are a registered carer. A customer and his carer are arguing that they should be entitled to the carer's discount despite not having a 'carer card'. They have pointed out that many disabled people are cared for by family or friends and so do not have such cards but are still there solely to assist the disabled cinema-goer. They are also questioning whether it is lawful to charge the carer at all under the DDA, as she is not going to see the film but to assist the disabled customer. Any advice or guidance on how best to administer and regulate this discount scheme would be greatly appreciated.   
A The customer is quite right in saying that many disabled people do not have 'official' or registered carers. A practical solution to the problem of how to administer the discount scheme might be for you to produce two cards with matching numbers. Both of these could be given to the disabled person who applies for the carer's discount, and they can then decide who to give the 'carer card' to - it might be a registered carer, or it might be someone else acting as a carer.
Legally the issue of whether or not to charge carers is tricky, and there has been no case law as yet on this. It is unlikely that a court would hold that it is less favourable treatment to charge a disabled person an extra amount to allow them to take their carer into the cinema with them because the service is not being provided on different terms to the disabled person. It may, however, be possible for a disabled person to say that the cinema's policy of charging carers at all is a policy, practice or procedure that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to use the service. Whether or not it is impossible or unreasonably difficult will depend on the disabled person's means. A best practice approach would be not to charge carers who have one of your cards or to offer a significant discount as you are already doing.
Perhaps readers with similar experiences could let us know how they deal with the situation?

Q An employee has recently been diagnosed as having epilepsy. We sent the employee home while we awaited a medical report, then re-examined his job role and put him on light duties because he had a seizure at work. His condition was stabilised, but he then stopped taking his medication because he likes to drink and this is not possible with the medication that he has been prescribed. He subsequently had another seizure at work. We were thinking about retraining him for another vacancy, but he has now had a third seizure at work and refuses to go to hospital or to take his medication. The redeployment option is in a manufacturing department, but he will not be able to do the whole job as he cannot use some of the machinery because of health and safety regulations. Can we take disciplinary action against him because of his refusal to take his medication, and can we dismiss him if no other job options can be found?
A You cannot discipline the employee for refusing to take his medication because taking medication is not a work-related activity and is a matter of personal choice. His refusal to take the medication, however, is having an impact on his work as he continues to have seizures at work. Therefore you can remove certain duties from him for health and safety reasons and to comply with health and safety regulations after conducting a proper health and safety risk assessment. 
You are right to try to transfer him to a suitable alternative work and to retrain him for this job, as these are reasonable adjustments under the DDA. When considering whether or not an alternative job is reasonable, consideration should be given to whether parts of the job that the person cannot do because of their disability can be allocated to someone else. This should be possible if these tasks are not central or essential to the role. If this is not possible and there is genuinely no other suitable work within the organisation for which he can be trained or do with reasonable adjustments having been made, you may be justified in dismissing him for capability reasons.

Q I am an employee of a Forum member company. I have a degenerative disc problem and need some time off work for an operation on my back and then for hospital appointments. I have not taken much time off work before but my back condition is deteriorating and this operation that will improve my condition by 40 per cent. I'm really worried that if I ask for this time off I will lose my job, particularly as my line manager has never been particularly sympathetic about my current mobility problems and views me simply as trouble.
A It is in your employer's interests to allow you to take this time off in order to retain you as a valuable employee and we would advise them to do so as a matter of good practice. This is particularly so as your condition and presumably performance will also improve significantly after the operation. This should mean that they avoid the additional cost of early ill-health retirement and of recruiting a replacement for you. In addition, legally it is a reasonable adjustment under the DDA to allow a disabled employee to be absent during working hours for rehabilitation, assessment or treatment. 
If your employer does dismiss you for taking this time off, you might have a claim for disability discrimination against them if they cannot show that it was reasonable not to allow you time off or justify their decision to dismiss you. We can if you wish contact the Forum's main contact for your employer under our Connects scheme. We can explain your situation to the main contact and pass on your details so that he or she can speak to you directly to discuss your situation and make the necessary arrangements with your line manager.
Briefing paper no. 11 on managing sickness absence is available from the Forum. For further advice contact the Forum's information helpline on 020 7403 3020. 

Forum news
Consultation paper sends out positive message, says Forum
The Forum has submitted its response to the government's proposals for reforming and extending the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), as set out in the consultation paper 'Towards inclusion'. 
In December 1999, the Disability Rights Task Force published 'From exclusion to inclusion', with 156 recommendations for action across all areas of disabled people's lives. 
'Towards inclusion' was the government's response to the Task Force. It asked for the views of disabled people, disability organisations, employers, service providers and others on specific legislative and non-legislative proposals on the definition of disability; employment; access to goods, services, facilities and premises; and barriers in the provision of services and equipment to disabled people.
A key effect of the proposals would be to place disability on a par with gender and race by removing inconsistencies in the legislation, for example by removing the broad occupational exclusions currently contained within the DDA. 
In its response, the Forum welcomes this approach as it sends out a positive message, which helps promote an understanding of disability as a human rights issue. 
Responding to the proposed extension of the DDA to police officers, the Forum says many forces currently aim to operate within the spirit of the legislation and broadly welcome this change. However, implementation needs to be give detailed consideration to the need to amend other aspects of police service conditions, such as the pensions fund. The Forum calls on government to give its police members an early indication of when these proposals might be implemented so they can make the necessary preparations. 
The Forum says it looks forward to the forthcoming consultation on extending disability rights to transport, and would welcome early implementation of these proposals. More accessible public transport can greatly assist the recruitment and retention of an individual who, for example, is unable to drive a car or walk long distances. 
The response includes feedback from a consultation meeting organised by the Forum for its public sector members and hosted by the local authority employment support body, the Employers' Organisation. On the issue of allowing limited positive discrimination, Forum members say this approach is narrow in focus and might be better if constraints were loosened across the range of equality issues. It also stresses the need for public authorities to play a positive role in enabling business to deliver equality to disabled people. 
For more information contact Caroline Gooding on 020 7403 3020. Further information on 'Towards inclusion' from www.dfee.gov.uk/consultations.

OBE for Phil Friend
Forum Associate Phil Friend was awarded an OBE in the Queen's birthday honours list. 
A long-time equal opportunities and disability consultant, Friend was recognised for his services to people with disabilities. 
His company, Churchill & Friend, provides consultancy and training; he is also active in a number of other organisations including the Association of Disabled Professionals, the Disability Partnership and the Prince's Trust Disability Advisory Group.
"This honour is thoroughly deserved; we are delighted for Phil," said Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive of the Forum.

Newcastle event
Over 125 delegates attended the Forum's regional briefing held in Newcastle in April. 
Sponsored by Consignia and organised in partnership with DeafBlind UK, it focused on developments relating to the employment of disabled people. Issues covered included the new disability business case (as outlined in the Forum's publications 'Unlocking potential' and 'Unlocking the evidence'); mental health; managing reasonable adjustments and how to manage change. 
Workshops were held in the afternoon to enable smaller groups of delegates to look at specific areas such as access, attitudinal issues, auxiliary aids and staff issues. 
Speakers included Forum Associate Phil Friend, Mike Freeney from Disability Matters, the BBC's Peter White and Jackie Hicks from DeafBlind UK. 
If you would like to sponsor a regional briefing contact Loraine Adams on 020 7403 3020.

Masterclasses on new technology
Exploring the potential of new technology in supporting disabled employees and customers was the focus of a series of events organised jointly by the Forum and AbilityNet earlier this year.
The IT masterclasses were hosted by Forum members Halifax and the Scottish Executive in Leeds and Edinburgh respectively. 
Forum member Unilever hosted a similar event in London at the end of last year. They aimed to take a fresh look at computer technology and its capacity to recruit, retain and develop employees; customer access issues were also examined. 
The masterclasses were designed and delivered by Ability-Net consultant Bill Fine, who shared with delegates his 'hands on' practical approach to assessing and prescribing technological solutions. 
A wide variety of these solutions were presented to delegates, including specially adapted keyboards and voice recognition software.
"Many people are still unaware of the simple adjustments they can make to improve the experience of disabled people at work," said Fine. Given the popularity of these events, the Forum hopes to hold further masterclasses in future. 
For more information contact AbilityNet on 01926 312847. If you are interested in hosting an event contact Loraine Adams at the Forum on 020 7403 3020.

Briefing paper on stammering
The Forum is now working on a briefing guide for employers on adjustments for people who stammer. We welcome case studies from member organisations which have recruited into their organisation someone who stammers.
Please contact Richard Southorn on 020 7403 3020  or e-mail richard.southern @employers-forum.co.uk.

Breakfast briefings
The Forum holds a Breakfast Briefing every month. Each briefing provides an opportunity for employers to: 
€ hear about the aims and work of the Forum and the changing employer approach to disability; 
€ review the latest issues relating to disabled people as employers, customers and stakeholders, including legislation; 
€ network with fellow Forum members.
Dates and venues for 2001 and the Associate attending are:
26 July 	Court Service 	8.30-10.30am 	David Bonnett
13 September 	Marks & Spencer 	10am-12 noon	Andrew Bruce
18 October 	Channel 5 	8.30-10.30am	James Partridge
15 November 	Cadbury Schweppes	10am-12 noon	Mike Freeney
13 December 	KPMG	8.30-10.30am	Phil Friend
If you are interested in hosting breakfast briefings in 2002, contact Clare Flory at clare.flory@employers-forum.co.uk.