At our members forum meeting in October we focussed on employment. We have gathered together everyone’s comments and feedback to produce an open letter to employers, which you can read below.
Dear employers
We are writing to you as members of the Disabled community to urge you to take meaningful action in creating workplaces that are truly inclusive, accessible, and equitable. What we mean as equitable is fair and just workplaces, especially in a way that takes account of and seeks to address existing inequalities. Disabled people deserve equal access to employment opportunities, and many of us want to work—but the current system and workplace practices often make this impossible. This also includes carers who quite often who are Disabled people themselves.
The Reality in 2026
Government plans and ideas in the past few years have focused on ‘getting Disabled people back into work’, yet little attention has been paid to making workplaces accessible. Schemes like Access to Work and Disability Confident are failing in practice—Access to Work claims can take months to process, and research shows no significant improvement in fair treatment or job satisfaction for Disabled employees at Disability Confident employers. These systemic barriers lead to job offers being withdrawn and careers stopped.
Barriers we face
- CV gaps due to chronic illness or impairment-related experiences.
- Lack of recognition for volunteering as valid experience.
- Inaccessible recruitment processes such as no advance interview questions or inaccessible materials.
- Employers misunderstanding or ignoring access needs (e.g. Deaf employees in online meetings without video).
- Discrimination on the basis of our identity as a Disabled person, both openly and hidden, working against protections in the Equality Act 2010.
- Infrequent and inaccessible public transport.
- Traditional work expectations requiring predictable routines with minimal flexible working patterns and lack of flexibility for energy levels or fatigue.
- Lack of Disabled leadership and representation.
- Misunderstanding of concepts like Crip Time. Crip Time involves an awareness that Disabled people might need more time to accomplish something or to arrive somewhere.
- Employers not offering support when applying for Access to Work scheme.
What needs to change
- Flexible working patterns as standard.
- Recognition of volunteering as valid employment history.
- Accessible recruitment processes, including advance questions and materials.
- Accessible work environments as standard.
- Proactive management training on Disability rights and inclusion (by Disabled people themselves such as Disabled people organisations).
- Timely Access to Work support and accountability for schemes that claim to support Disabled employees.
- Representation of Disabled leaders and voices in decision-making within workspaces.
- Employers to see Disabled people as assets in employment.
- Accessible routes to work.
Our call to action
The conversation about Disability and employment must be led by Disabled people. It should focus on removing barriers and creating accessible workspaces, not penalising those who cannot work in inaccessible environments. We invite you to join us in shifting this narrative and committing to real change.
Together, we can build workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Sincerely, BDEF (Bristol Disability Equality Forum) Members and Community
