§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives exist to assist the disabled to gain employment within the technology-based industries.
Mr. JacksonMy Department's sheltered employment programme provides employment opportunities in technology-based industries, among others, for people with severe disabilities. The special aids to employment scheme includes the provision of special computer equipment and other technological aids which are designed to help people with disabilities to get and keep jobs; these aids can be used by people working in technology-based industries. Among the training opportunities provided through the employment training and youth training programmes, information technology centres have a good record of providing technology related training for people with disabilities.
My Department has many other specialist and general services which can help people with disabilities find work, including employment in technology-based industries.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives he has undertaken over the past three years to encourage employers to provide work place facilities which would assist the employment of disabled persons.
Mr. JacksonMy Department operates a number of initiatives, including:
- (a) The Disablement Advisory Service which helps employers of all sizes and in all types of industry and commerce to adopt and implement good policies and practices in the employment of people with disabilities;
- (b) A range of special schemes available to help with the employment of people with disabilities, in particular: special aids to employment scheme which provides special equipment which someone with a disability needs to do a particular job; adaptations to premises and equipment scheme which provides a grant towards the cost of necessary adaptations to an employer's premises or equipment to enable someone with a disability to be employed; personal reader service which helps with the cost of a sighted reader for visually handicapped people.
135 - (c) The sheltered employment programme, within which the sheltered placement scheme provides integrated employment opportunities for people with severe disabilities and sheltered workshops provide jobs in Remploy factories and with local authorities and voluntary bodies;
- (d) The code of good practice on the employment of disabled people, launched in 1984, which offers practical guidance to employers on adopting good policies and practices in the employment of people with disabilities;
- (e) A new symbol launched on 16 October 1990 which gives employers a simple, practical and effective means of showing that they are committed to good policies and practices in the employment of people with disabilities.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the numbers of disabled people who are self-employed.
Mr. JacksonResearch commissioned by my Department's employment service and undertaken by Social and Community Planning Research estimated that there were 143,000 people with disabilities in self-employment. The findings of this research were published in "Employment and Handicap", a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the numbers of disabled people employed within the area of information technology.
Mr. JacksonInformation is not available in the form requested. However, a report of research commissioned by my Department's employment service and undertaken by Social and Community Planning Research contains some information on the type of work undertaken by people with disabilities. A copy of the report, "Employment and Handicap" is in the Library.