Working with members, the Forum has developed a systematic model for effective change on disability.

Each section contains tips and advice to help you promote change in your organisation.

Engage colleagues and explain the need for action

Make the case for action using: www.realising-potential.org

Equip your organisation and become disability confident

Access best practice and work in partnership with other employers: www.employers-forum.co.uk

Deliver benefits for disabled people and the business

Benchmark your performance and put together an action plan: www.disabilitystandard.co.uk

Promoting Change

The perfect training needs analysis tool for disability champions, this Forum publication outlines what people working across any business need to know about disability.

For more information contact the publications team on +44 20 7089 2410 or email publications@employers-forum.co.uk.

Partnership will enable progress

Employers have an important part to play in developing a fresh approach to disability and promoting partnerships which enable everyone to contribute.

Business needs to:

• learn from disabled people directly, accessing their talents and purchasing power
• ensure that high level business strategies explicitly aim to realise the potential for disabled people to contribute to business performance - and to create disability confident organisations
• systematically explore, understand and overcome deeply rooted prejudices and fears in their organisations concerning disabled people and disability

Governments need to:

• focus on overcoming ignorance and fear of disability with a particular emphasis on the education of young people
• position employers and disabled people as valued 'customers' of services which help people with disabilities into education, training and work
• improve their own ability to employ disabled people and value disabled people as citizens and stakeholders
• create a benefit system that has high expectations of disabled people's employability and provides security out of employment and incentives in employment
• monitor the impact of legislation on both disabled people and business

Non-profit organisations need to:

• meet the needs and expectations of business and so enhance their capacity to support disabled people into work
• actively empower disabled people as leaders, spokespeople, entrepreneurs and colleagues
• establish, with business, disability relevant performance measures in social accountability and other quality assurance standards

The system which supports the inclusion of disabled people is hugely complex and will not work sustainably unless each of its three legs: the employer, the disadvantaged jobseeker and the supporting intermediary is properly positioned.

Alistair Mant, STS Group