by Michael Alford

Disclaimer – any views expressed in this article are my own and are not necessarily shared nor endorsed by any of the organisations mentioned.

If it’s hard for disabled people to find jobs, it’s worth remembering that it can also be quite hard for an employer to employ someone with a disability when they don’t always understand how simple it can be to support them. The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) is a partnership of various different employers aimed at improving prospects for disabled people going through the recruitment process. Focusing on the benefits available to a business through building a more diverse workforce, RIDI is one of many organisations championing recruitment of disabled people (for a few others, please see my article in the previous edition of #Strive) and encouraging more employers to take the plunge.

It was through my employment with Bristol City Council that I came across RIDI – the two organisations partnered to host an event at Bristol City Hall aimed at sharing and promoting good practise in recruiting and retaining disabled talent in the workforce. And what better way to do this than hear it from disabled people themselves?

After writing my article on employment in the previous edition, it was really exciting to share my experiences and knowledge gained through writing my previous article at this event. Such small efforts can go a long way to securing better employment prospects for the UK’s disabled population.

With topics ranging from examples of good practise in recruitment and support, to the reasons why organisations should think about employing more disabled people, questions were put to a panel of staff from across Bristol City Council and with different disabilities (of which I was a member), as well as a member of the Bristol Disability Equality Forum (BDEF), a local disability rights organisation run entirely by disabled people.

Do you have any burning questions? We would love to hear your comments or any further advice you can share in the comments at the end of this article.

Written by Michael Alford