Chamber and committees

Disability employment gap

Overview

Identifying barriers to accessing employment is a key interest of the Committee.

Statistics show that disabled people in Scotland have a lower employment rate than non-disabled people. This is known as “the disability employment gap”.

The Committee would like to understand what more can be done to reduce this and ensure disabled people can access employment. 

Committee inquiry

The Committee undertook some initial work on the disability employment gap in 2023. This included visits, an evidence session with stakeholder organisations, and an evidence session with the then Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work.

A letter with the Committee’s initial findings was sent to the then Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. This letter, and the Cabinet Secretary’s response, can be accessed via the correspondence button below.

The Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry to build on this initial work

Remit

The Committee will consider— 

• the help available for disabled people to get back into the labour market;
• available support for employers for more inclusive recruitment practices and workplaces;
• specific barriers faced by people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent people; and
• the employment support systems for disabled people. 

Your views

The Committee previously undertook a call for written views. This ran from 20 December to 16 February 2023 and received 41 responses.  

Read the written submissions

Additional written evidence from Enable (228KB, pdf) posted 09 May 2024

Additional written evidence from SAMH (110KB, pdf) posted 24 April 2024

Additional written evidence from DFN Project SEARCH (9MB, pdf) posted 09 May 2024

Additional written evidence from Scottish Commission for People with Disabilities  (2MB, pdf) posted 09 May 2024

Engagement

During the initial work last year, members of the Committee visited the National Autistic Society Scotland, ENABLE, All in Dundee and Dovetail Enterprises.

Members of the Committee intend to meet informally with more organisations and individuals over the next couple of months in addition to formal evidence sessions at Holyrood.