ACS is supporting a campaign to promote Disability Confident in retail.
The retail sector is the largest employer in the UK. People are at the core of what retailers do. The sector needs a strong pool of talent to draw from, and to be able to support existing employees.
Skill shortages in the labour market mean that the competition to recruit and retain good people is high. Retailers need to explore all potential sources of talent and they need to have the know-how to make their businesses inclusive places to work.
There are around 4.5 million disabled people and people with long-term health conditions who are out of work – a significant group of people which employers can’t afford to ignore.
Disabled people can bring unique skills, experience and perspectives to an organisation and, of course, they are also customers with a huge combined spending power of £249 billion.
The Disability Confident scheme helps give employers the confidence, skills and tools they need to recruit disabled people and retain and support them as they progress in their careers.
There are over 6.000 employers already signed-up to Disability Confident, including over 200 retailers. The scheme is free to join and the sign-up process is easy to access. Signing up doesn’t mean that an employer is perfect on disability issues – but it is a clear signal to customers and colleagues that they are committed to getting it right.
Find out more and sign up at disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk.
