Q4 - What value is there for me in employing a disabled person - what is the business case?

Visage is about promoting the positive business case to have equality of treatment for the employment of blind and partially sighted people and for other disabled people.

Why?

Disabled people are often equally well qualified and have equal rights and are legally entitled to equal treatment in the recruitment process.

Blind, partially sighted and disabled people often stay in jobs longer, have a strong work ethic, good punctuality records and low absentee rates. Of course this does not apply to all visually impaired people - but as unemployment in this group is currently so high, there is a strong incentive to work well.

Retaining an employee who is losing their sight or becoming disabled is generally cheaper and more cost effective than recruiting and training up new staff. Similarly in a recent case a business that dismissed a member of staff who had lost their eyesight after a stroke - without even attempting to make any adjustments to retain the staff member - was fined over £20,000. Mistakes can be a costly business.

Disabled people are often the best to be able to access the market of disabled consumers for obvious reasons - a market estimated to be worth around £50 billion annually.

1 in 3 of the population are disabled or close to someone who is. Disability increases with age. Around 33% of all workers aged 50 - 64 have a disability of some kind. You may already employ someone with a disability. Any one of us may develop a disability, as we get older. If it were you, you would not loose your knowledge, skills and experience and would expect equality of treatment.

Managers and staff who are trained to be visually or disability aware, add value to the business, and are generally more knowledgeable and better at their jobs, because they are putting equal opportunities into practice. Contact specialist organisations for further information and advice.

Supporting Visage and employing blind, partially sighted or disabled people not only sends a positive message about the values and ethics of your company both to investors and staff but also to its customers and potential customers. Values and ethics matter more and more to the modern consumer - similarly any involvement by a business in discrimination is likely to impact negatively upon the image of the business.

Don't forget - disabled people have the legal right not to be discriminated against! It is unacceptable and simply wrong to discriminate against people because of who and how they are.

Corporate Social Responsibility is not any longer the sole preserve of a handful of giant international corporations - nowadays it needs to be addressed by many medium sized enterprises. Visage is a simple low cost way to be involved.

Links to specialist organisations