As the population ages and the incidence of disability increases, globalisation is changing the nature of employment and the labour market is fragmenting.

Through a more sophisticated understanding of diversity, the disability confident business will be better placed to capitalise on the global trend towards individualisation.

Employers need to take a more flexible and individual approach to talent management and disability is a growing element of the equation.

Disability affects 15 - 20% of every country's population: There are at least 610 million disabled people worldwide. [iv] Conflict and poverty continue to cause high rates of disability in the less developed world. The incidence of disability is increasing in the industrialised world as populations age.

By 2020, close to half the adult population of the UK will be over 50 years old, while 20% of the inhabitants of the United States and 25% of those of Japan will be over 65. [v]

A disability confident organisation understands how disability impacts on every aspect of its business, including its people and markets. It will be better placed to respond effectively to:

Sources

1. [i] Mitra Toosi, "A century of change: The US Labor Force, 1950 - 2050", Monthly Labor Review, May 2002
2. [ii] Labour force survey, Spring 2005
3. [iii]  Lancaster University and Manchester Business School
4. [iv] World Bank and ILO
5. [v] http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=6004&Section/@id=1354