Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Commission responded to the National Skills Forum's request for written evidence on skills and training for people with disabilities.

Introduction

The EHRC is responding to the invitation from the National Skills Forum for written evidence on the provision of, and access to, skills and training for disabled people, as well as the effect skills and training has on the progression of these learners into the labour market.

The EHRC welcomes this opportunity to contribute to research into skills and social inclusion. We have drawn upon research produced by the EHRC, as well as research undertaken by the Disability Rights Commission and research produced by our stakeholders.

We are concerned at the slow progress in improving learning and work opportunities for disabled people.  A recent review commissioned by EHRC found that:

• Disabled people are still only half as likely as non-disabled people to be qualified to degree level and are twice as likely as non-disabled people to have no qualification at all.
• Inequalities in the proportions of disabled and non-disabled people in work persists, with only half of disabled people in work, compared with over four fifths of the non-disabled population.

Download our response in full (Word)