- Conference
- 2021 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 6 July 2021
- Decision
- Carried
Covid-19 and Disability Inclusion in the Workplace
With one in five employees being disabled its important that employers make our workplaces inclusive. Failure to make reasonable adjustments may amount to disability discrimination.
Conference is aware that there can be particular benefits to disabled people from working from home; however, this is an individual assessment and decision rather than a blanket policy approach.
There is an anticipation, that the employer’s response may simply be that disabled people work from home to save the need to make workplace adjustments; particularly for those in the ‘shielding’ category. This is regressive step, akin to attitudes towards disability under a Medical Model of Disability, that diminishes workplace accessibility. It reinforces a view that disabled workers ‘are the problem’ and has the potential to create an underclass of disabled worker among those shielding.
Conference calls on the National Disabled Members’ Committee:
1. To monitor developments in relation to post-Covid-19 home working arrangements.
2. To continue promoting the Social Model of Disability.
3. To continue to support working from home as a reasonable adjustment.
4. To vociferously commend approaches that promote a right to work from home for disabled people rather than a requirement.
South Lanarkshire UNISON Local Government Branch