From compliance to culture change: disabled people working in lifelong learning: interim report

This interim report describes the work to date of the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning which aims to investigate and report on current practices in the employment of disabled people in the lifelong learning sector in order to make recommendations that positively influence culture and practice, promote career opportunities for disabled people and enable more people with disabilities to make a contribution to the sector. The report summarises the evidence the Commission has received and outlines the Commission's emerging findings, its recommendations, and key questions on which it would welcome further advice. The over-arching conclusion is that there is an overwhelming need for culture change in the lifelong learning sector in relation to the employment of disabled staff. The importance of the underpinning values and culture of organisations is a recurring and embedded theme in this report. Making support and information mechanisms for staff available is a visible consequence of a culture that is disability aware. Other factors may include clear statements about equalities, diversity issues embedded into policy and strategic planning and the extent to which all staff have training on disability and other diversity issues. We have identified some areas that we think it is particularly important to focus on - that would make a real difference. We now want to know if these are the right issues for further investigation and what are the specific things that need to be done about them.

Excerpt from publication.

The final report is indexed at TD/TNC 93.224. Show less