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an Inclusive Terminology Glossary for archivists and cultural heritage professionals. The aim of the project is to collate accurate information about the historic and contemporary usage of words related to race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and disability, which will inform decision-making around language use in the heritage sector.

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From Chew Inclusive Terminology Glossary

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The Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network

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The Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network

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a peer support network for neurodivergent (ND) individuals working in the library and information science (LIS) sector in the UK and Ireland. its website has case studies and resources from past events topics covered include recruitments and the work environment

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Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network

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Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network

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Supporting Neurodivergent Library Staff in the UK

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Rosa May Billinghurst, known as May, was born in Lewisham in 1875.
She suffered polio as a child and had to use a tricycle to get about.
She was a member of the Women’s Liberal Association, and joined the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1907. the LSE hold her archives

https://archives.lse.ac.uk/records/7RMB

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Rosa May Billinghurst - Google Arts & Culture

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Hall-Carpenter Archives  Disability Campaigns 1982-1985

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Hall-Carpenter Archives  Disability Campaigns 1982-1985

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Includes Gay Men's Disabled Group (GMDG) newsletters, nos. 1 to 8, 1982-85.

https://archives.lse.ac.uk/records/HCA/EPHEMERA/413

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Gay Men’s Disabled Group (GMDG) newsletters, nos. 1 to 8, 1982-85.
“Inclusion not ignorance”, report on the Disabled Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference, October 2002 (published by Grea…

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Maternity Alliance Disability Working Group 

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Maternity Alliance Disability Working Group 

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papers of the Maternity Alliance Disability Working Group run from Nov 1988 to Sep 1999. https://archives.lse.ac.uk/records/5MAL/B/4

topics covered disability, pregnancy and parenthood.

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The papers of the Maternity Alliance Disability Working Group run from Nov 1988 to Sep 1999. The inaugural meeting was on 3 Nov 1988, the group’s terms of reference being to advise on all aspects of …

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https://archives.lse.ac.uk/records/CPAG/J/2

Archive papers on issues relating to disabled people and social security in Britain 1967-93

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Mainly papers on issues relating to disabled people and social security. Folder 1: General papers, 1967-92: \- "The disabled in society", paper by Peter Townsend, 5 May 1967 \- &…

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we provide LSE staff and students access with Westlaw and Lexis which provide access to legislation, case law and law journal articles. We also have Heinonline which has international law articles.

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The London School of Economics and Political Science

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Explore the legal resources available to LSE staff and students at the Library.

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Disability Rights UK is the UK’s leading Disabled People's Organisation (DPO) led by, run by, and working for Disabled people.

We work with other DPOs, public bodies, businesses and Government across the UK to influence regional and national change for better rights, accessibility, benefits, quality of life and economic opportunities for Disabled people.  website contains campaigns and benefit rights guidance

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Disability Rights UK | We are Disabled people working for an inclusive society

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We work with Disabled People's Organisations, public bodies, businesses and Government across the UK to influence regional and national change for better rights, accessibility, benefits, quality of life and economic opportunities for Disabled people.

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UK government information on current disability Rights

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UK government information on current disability Rights

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Find out about protection for disabled people from discrimination at work, in education or dealing with the police

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Disabled people’s employment in the UK: A thematic review of the literature

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Disabled people’s employment in the UK: A thematic review of the literature

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This report reviews academic and other material about disabled people’s lived experience of employment in the UK. These materials were identified in a systematic literature review commissioned by the Cabinet Office’s Disability Unit (DU) in 2021 which was conducted by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds and Disability Rights UK. The aim of this report is to better understand the lived experience of disabled people in the UK in employment.

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Disabled people’s employment in the UK: A thematic review of the literature

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Dr Emma Croft, Dr Jason Olsen and Dr Theo Blackmore

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Modern Record Office - Trade Board records

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Modern Record Office - Trade Board records

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Trade Board records can give us a rare glimpse into the experiences and treatment of individual workers with disabilities or chronic illness in the early 20th century.

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Trade Board records can give us a rare glimpse into the experiences and treatment of individual workers with disabilities or chronic illness in the early 20th century.

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Any work that wanted doing: Hidden stories of disabled mill workers

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Any work that wanted doing: Hidden stories of disabled mill workers

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Gill Crawshaw

amazing resources relating to the lives of disabled mill workers in the north of England.

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Disabled people have always been part of the textile workforce in the north of England, but their contributions have often gone unrecognised. Once the industrial revolution got underway, the narrative that disabled people were unable to work and had to depend on the workhouse or on charity took hold. This idea of disabled people as being dependent and needy continues to this day. But it’s not the whole picture.

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Remploy was established by the British Government to provide sheltered employment – a term used to denote workplaces dedicated to employing disabled people in an environment ‘sheltered’ from the competitive pressures of the open employment market

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Andy Holroyde, University of Huddersfield @AndyHolroyde On 29th April 1946, the doors of the Remploy Factory in Bridgend, Wales opened to admit the company’s very first group of disabled workers. C…

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Trade union reports and information on disability and the workplace. Covers rights at work

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labour market status of disabled people current ONS data

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labour market status of disabled people current ONS data

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Get up to date data sets from the Office for National Statistics.

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A08: Labour market status of disabled people - Office for National Statistics

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Labour market status of disabled people, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

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The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations

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The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations

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A report of research and recommendations led by Sir Robert Buckland KC MP, supported by Autistica, with secretariat provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Crown copyright 2024.

You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

This document/publication is also available on our website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/research#research-and-analysis-publications

First published February 2024.

ISBN 978-1-78659-625-3

Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other government department.

Foreword by Sir Robert Buckland

I have had a long-standing interest in promoting employment as an essential element in building full and meaningful lives for autistic people. At the moment only 3 in 10 autistic people of working age are in employment. This means that 7 in 10 of them are unable to access the independence and fulfilment that employment can bring. It also means that employers, and the wider economy, are missing out on the skills and energy that autistic people could be contributing, to the detriment of us all.

I was therefore delighted when the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions agreed to this review identifying the barriers to autistic people securing sustained and fulfilling employment and exploring how we can overcome those barriers. We launched the review on 2 April 2023, World Autism Awareness Day, and over the months since we have spoken to hundreds of organisations and individuals, and drawn all their experience, ideas and good practice into the report and recommendations you will find here.

I have been very impressed by the level of support and engagement from stakeholders, particularly from employers and employer representative groups - the key target for the review. My sincere thanks for all the excellent ideas you have brought forward.

I also extend my thanks to Autistica for their support and to the Department for Work and Pensions for providing the secretariat and organising the review process. Both organisations have been invaluable. And my thanks to the Secretary of State, Mel Stride, the previous Minister for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove, and to the current Minister, Mims Davies, for their support and advice.

Above all, I would like to thank the very many autistic people we have spoken to. We have been careful to ensure that you have had the opportunity to give your views on issues that will be so important to you. I am so grateful for your support.

I believe this report provides a way forward that does not require vast sums of public money but that can produce a radical improvement of autistic employment rates and a radical transformation of autistic people's lives. I call on everyone to now make this happen.

Sir Robert Buckland KC MP

Executive summary and recommendations

e.1 Autistica estimates that around 1 in 70 people is autistic, so about 1 million people in the UK. In 2022/2023 (the latest available figures) the number of people of working age in the UK who reported autism as either a main or secondary long-term health condition was 680,000. Neurodiverse people do not consistently identify as having a long-term health condition therefore these numbers are likely to be an undercount of the true population. Not all working age autistic people will be able to work, but NAS's research found that the vast majority want to.

e.2 Despite their wish to work, the latest official statistics show that only around 3 in 10 working age autistic disabled people are in employment, compared with around 5 in 10 for all disabled people and 8 in 10 for non-disabled people.

e.3 Autistic people face the largest pay gap of all disability groups, receiving a third less than non-disabled people on average. Autistic graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed after 15 months as non-disabled graduates, with only 36% finding full time work in this period. Autistic graduates are most likely to be overqualified for the job they have, most likely to be on zero-hours contracts, and least likely to be in a permanent role.

e.4 There is a wide range of potential barriers to work for autistic people; poor preparation by employers, unfair hiring practices, unclear processes and outdated attitudes all play a role. From a young age, autistic people are less likely than their peers to have the time, connections or support to seek out work-related experiences and career advisors are often poorly equipped to support autistic people. This has knock-on effects for later employment prospects.

e.5 Autistic people have far more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests. Autistic jobseekers must navigate vague, generic job descriptions, ambiguous interview questions and challenging sensory environments, often with an emphasis on social skills rather than job skills. Many feel they must mask their autistic traits to succeed.

e.6 Even after finding work, maintaining long-term employment remains a challenge for autistic people. Many do not receive the necessary support or adjustments to enable them to fulfil their role in the face of inaccessible sensory and social environments. Many autistic adults are not aware of their legal rights around reasonable adjustments. Only around 35% of autistic employees are fully open about being autistic, with 1 in 10 not disclosing to anyone at work. For those who do disclose, the most common time to do so is after starting a job - highlighting a persistent and well-founded fear of discrimination during the recruitment process.

e.7 Access to adjustments is still highly variable, with the onus usually on the autistic employee to identify and advocate for adjustments. Around one third of autistic employees felt unable to discuss their adjustment needs at all, and of those who did request adjustments, over a quarter were refused and more than 1 in 10 found the adjustment was poorly implemented.

e.8 Employers and managers often report poor knowledge of autism and feel under-prepared to identify and implement adjustments for autistic people.

e.9 The Buckland Review of Autism Employment was launched on 2 April 2023 to consider how this situation can be improved. Over the summer of 2023 the review received views from employers, employer organisations, autistic people, autism charities, specialist support groups and other stakeholders. It explored how employers recruit, retain and develop autistic people, identifying barriers to this happening and developing effective ways to overcome those barriers, with the aim of significantly improving the autism employment rate over the next 5 years.

e.10 We explored the issues under five themes:

1. What initiatives can help to raise awareness, reduce stigma and capitalise on the productivity of autistic employees

2. What more could be done to prepare autistic people effectively for beginning or returning to a career

3. How employers can adjust recruitment practices to meet the needs of autistic applicants

4. How employers can support autistic people already in their workforce

5. How employers can encourage and support autistic staff to develop and progress their career.

e.11 There was a high level of consensus from all stakeholders about the best ways to address each of these issues. We have condensed their views into 19 recommendations, presented under the relevant theme. These recommendations are mostly aimed at changing employer behaviour and are for the multidisciplinary task group to take forward.

e.12 As well as the specific recommendations, the report notes that many developments that can help autistic jobseekers are already under way. These include the new Universal Support programme, the review and reinvigoration of Disability Confident, Access to Work developments and systems improvements, and the launch of the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index. These will require some steering as they are developed to ensure the needs and lived experiences of autistic people are taken fully into account.

e.13 The report notes that many of the changes employers could make that would help recruit, retain and develop autistic people would also benefit people with other types of neurodiversity and disability, and non-disabled people. Adopting a universal "inclusion by design" approach, so an autistic person need not disclose their autism to secure the support they need, could reduce the need for separate workplace adjustments and the stigma this can sometimes entail, as well as improving overall productivity and reducing costs.

e.14 The report recognises that the transformational change needed cannot be done all at once and everywhere. Instead, we are seeking to generate a wave of improvement: starting from ripples of good practice, building into small waves of change, and finally growing into a sea change in accepted good practice which any employer would both want to and be expected to follow. We recognise that this could take some years to follow through: this argues for the creation of a task group to carry on the work.

e.15 Finally, we note that the evidence in some areas is slim or non-existent, and as the wave of improvement grows, we will wish to evaluate the effects and use that evaluation to adjust further developments. There will therefore be a need for continued evidence gathering and analysis.

Recommendations

Initiatives to raise awareness, reduce stigma and capitalise on productivity

1. Work with autistic people, autism organisations, and employer-facing organisations to create a national campaign aimed at employers. Build a package of good news stories and testimonials from employers who employ autistic people and can speak about the benefits it brings to their businesses. Include examples of autistic people with successful careers, ideally in a range of industries, occupations, and levels, from entry level up to senior management. Highlight the availability and sources of advice and support that helped these employers. Include statistics showing that for certain jobs autistic staff can be more productive than neurotypical staff (with some statistics showing productivity improvements in some areas of work ranging from 45-145%). This campaign could start with a high-profile public launch of this report.

2. Promote the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index, which will enable organisations to measure themselves against best practice, highlight areas of strength and areas for improvement and include an annual awards programme. The Index will also provide guidance on how employers can design fully inclusive processes, procedures and premises so all staff can receive the support they need without autistic staff needing to disclose their condition. The Index had a limited release as a proof of concept with selected employers in autumn 2023, with a full launch open to employers from all market sectors scheduled for spring 2024.

3. Work with larger national or multinational organisations to develop small pilots of good practice, developing processes and support mechanisms that enable autistic staff to be recruited and to succeed. Assess the success of these pilots so that organisations have evidence for rolling them out more widely. Work with industry representative bodies to take the evidence from these pilots and disseminate it across other businesses in that industry.

Supporting autistic people to begin or return to a career

4. Identify and promote cross-industry autism employment support groups, including opportunities for volunteering and work shadowing, that autistic jobseekers can join to build their knowledge of employment and their confidence.

5. Ensure that the design of the new Universal Support programme meets the varied needs of autistic people, including access to a supported employment programme for those who need help to prepare them for mainstream employment.

6. Promote supported internships as a good route for autistic young people to develop work experience and skills. Ensure providers are aware of the range of needs of autistic young people and are equipped to meet those needs. The Department for Education is piloting an entry route to supported internships for disabled people without an EHC plan. Push for a speedy rollout of that change across the country.

7. Promote apprenticeships as another good route to develop work experience and skills, highlighting the additional funding and support available. Many autistic young people will struggle to achieve the maths and English skills required to gain a higher-level apprenticeship. Although there are flexibilities in apprenticeship rules for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, these may require an EHC plan. Accepting that EHC plans can be difficult to obtain, remove this requirement and allow exemption on self-declaration.

8. Work with autism charities and other relevant groups to ensure autistic people know about Access to Work and the support it can provide to meet their individual recruitment and employment needs. Continue to improve the Access to Work programme: if the Adjustment Passport and Access to Work Plus pilots produce positive results, these should be rolled out nationally as soon as possible.

Recruitment practices that appropriately support autistic applicants

9. Ensure careers advisers in schools, colleges, the National Careers Service in England and equivalents in devolved administrations all have a good understanding of autism, know how to support autistic customers appropriately and can provide appropriate advice to autistic people seeking a first job or a career change.

10. Continue to develop Disability Confident, increasing the rigour of developmental work needed to achieve the higher Disability Confident levels, increasing the frequency and rigour of Disability Confident assessments and building in strong links to the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index, so autistic jobseekers can seek out Disability Confident organisations knowing they will offer support.

11. Consider how the online Support with Employee Health and Disability ( SEHD) service can link employers to appropriate and accessible advice on best practice for recruiting and supporting autistic staff.

12. Engage with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, advising on the benefits autistic candidates can bring to businesses, how to remove barriers to recruiting them, and how these improved processes can be applied to the recruitment of all candidates. Explain how this will produce better matches and improved business performance. Share with the Confederation and individual recruitment agencies strong case histories of successful autistic staff that they can use in conversations with client employers.

13. Identify and promote sources of information and support on becoming self- employed or establishing a social enterprise or Community Interest Company. Work with the Access to Work team to ensure application processes for support with self-employment are reasonably accessible.

Supporting autistic people already in the workforce

14. Work with the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group and staff team to identify Disability Confident firms who have experience in successfully employing autistic people and achieving culture change. They can act as role models and guides for other Disability Confident organisations.

15. Work with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD) to ensure the 2018 Neurodiversity at Work guidance is publicised and accessible to employers. Developed in collaboration with Uptimize, this provides good practice guidance on developing a neuroinclusive organisation.

16. Work with autism charities to produce "autism design guides" for a range of industries. Show how to create appropriate and supportive design of premises, furnishings, equipment and procedures, and include examples of where these have worked well.

17. Work with software suppliers and suppliers of adaptive technology to develop IT systems that meet autistic people's needs. Where these systems are already in place, work with the suppliers to promote them widely and include guidance on how to access them.

Encouraging and supporting career progression

18. Promote the value of employee resource groups and support networks within larger organisations, helping to develop new skills and a network of contacts to succeed at the next level up. Promote the use of mentors and buddies to support staff in developing the skills and behaviours needed to progress.

19. Work with autism charities, CIPD, management training organisations and other advisors to develop packages of strength-based training focused on helping autistic staff to progress. These packages should identify skills mismatches and gaps and suggest ways of dealing with these - for example, by building existing skills, or by reshaping jobs within the team to better match staff skill sets to roles.

Introduction

1.1 The Buckland Review of Autism Employment was launched on 2 April 2023. The full Terms of Reference for the review are set out at Annex 1.

1.2 The review sought views from autistic people, employers, employer organisations, and specialist support groups. It explored how employers recruit, retain and develop autistic people, identifying barriers to this happening and developing effective ways to overcome those barriers, with the aim of significantly improving the autism employment rate over the next 5 years.

Although some of the programmes referred to are England-only, the review covered autism employment across the UK, and we received representations from the Scottish and Welsh Governments and from organisations working in all parts of the UK. We recognise that many recommendations may have territorial impacts and we will look at the precise way they could be applied in the devolved administrations as recommendations are worked through.

1.3 As we have been receiving evidence and developing recommendations, we have followed the terms of reference in seeking solutions that:

Are likely to be acceptable to autistic people

Are likely to be effective at improving autistic people's outcomes

Would be feasible for employers or public services to deliver, including integrating with existing initiatives.

1.4 We also heard clearly that autistic people's experiences and needs vary widely, so we have sought solutions that can be adapted and personalised around each individual.

1.5 The review was structured around 5 themes:

1.6 This report summarises the evidence the review team has gathered and contains recommendations for action. These recommendations are for the multidisciplinary task group to take forward. Most are aimed at changing employer behaviour.

1.7 The report begins with an overview of the current situation for autism employment, then covers the evidence and recommendations for each theme. Many of the recommendations fit into more than one theme but they are presented under the theme to which they are most relevant. The report ends with suggested next steps.

2. The current situation

Language

2.1 There is a range of views within the community about the language that should be used to describe autism. In this report, we use identity-first language ("autistic" rather than "with autism") to reflect the language most autistic people use to describe themselves.,

Definitions and numbers affected

2.2 Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that can occur at all levels of ability, across all social classes and ethnicities. It is a spectrum condition and often occurs in combination with other conditions, including ADHD, learning disability, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, speech and language difficulties and mental health conditions. Most autistic people see autism as a part of their identity that cannot and should not be separated from other aspects of who they are.

2.3 Autistica estimates that around 1 in 70 people is autistic, which means there are about 1 million autistic people in the UK. In 2022/2023 (the latest available figures) the number of working age people in the UK who report autism as either a main or secondary long-term health condition was 680,000. Neurodivergent people do not consistently identify as having a long-term health condition, so these numbers are likely to be an underestimate of the true population. Not all working age autistic people will be able to work, but research by the National Autistic Society found that the vast majority want to.

2.4 Despite their wish to work, the latest data from the Labour Force Survey shows that only around 3 in 10 working age autistic people are in employment, compared with around 5 in 10 for all disabled people and 8 in 10 for non-disabled people.

The National Autism Strategy

2.5 This government document, published on 21 July 2021, builds on and replaces the preceding adult autism strategy Think Autism. It extends the scope of the strategy to young people in recognition of the importance of ensuring they are diagnosed and receive the right support as early as possible and across their lifetime.

2.6 The strategy depicts the changes the government wishes to make and the approach it is taking towards delivering on this in 2021 to 2026. The changes will be in 6 areas:

1. Improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society

2. Improving autistic children and young people's access to education, and supporting positive transitions into adulthood

3. Supporting more autistic people into employment

4. Tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people

5. Building the right support in the community and supporting people in inpatient care

6. Improving support within the criminal and youth justice systems

2.7 The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) is leading on supporting more autistic people into employment.

The strategy says the government will make progress on closing the employment gap. This will ensure more autistic people who want to work can do so, and that those who have found a job are more likely to stay in work. The government wants more employers to be confident in hiring and supporting autistic people and to improve autistic people's experiences of being in work.

Current government support for autistic jobseekers

2.8 Jobcentres delivering good quality services to autistic people is a key part of meeting the autism strategy's employment objectives. DWP employs approximately 85 work psychologists who operate in Jobcentres. They use occupational psychology expertise to support DWP customers whose health and disability circumstances are impacting their progress towards employment. A significant proportion of referrals to a work psychologist are autistic people.

2.9 This support aims to help people secure or move closer towards work, and to have the skills needed to maintain effective job performance when in work. Work psychologists deliver support both directly (face to face, either individually or in a group setting) and indirectly. Direct work is through a referral from a work coach or Disability Employment Advisor. It involves a range of work-based psychological interventions over a longer term with claimants.

2.10 An autism accreditation framework tested by DWP showed how to build a toolkit to better support autistic jobseekers who use Jobcentres. Designed to improve processes and develops the skills of work coaches, DWP is now exploring how this accreditation can be rolled out across all Jobcentres.

2.11 DWP also runs a series of programmes to support autistic people into employment.

Access to Work and Access to Work Plus

The most relevant and widely used programme for supporting autistic people to secure and retain employment is Access to Work ( AtW). This is a demand-led, discretionary grant that contributes to the extra costs of working faced by disabled people and those with a long-term health condition.

The grant can help fund personalised support. This includes workplace assessments, travel to or for work, support workers, specialist aids and equipment to help people move into or retain employment. AtW can fund up to £66,000 worth of flexible, personalised support per person per year.

AtW also has a Blended Support Offer, which complements support provided by employers. This provides a combination of support that can be tailored to meet individual working arrangements, such as hybrid working.

DWP is delivering a series of Access to Work Adjustment Passport pilots to understand whether a passport can support a more coherent journey of adjustment support. This could reduce the need for assessments where needs remain the same and empower the passport holder to have a more confident conversation with potential employers about their workplace adjustments.

DWP is keen to do more to support disabled people who have the most significant barriers to employment. The new Access to Work Plus will provide disabled employees with enhanced personal funding. This will be complemented with funding for employers who are willing to make workplace adjustments in excess of reasonable adjustments or shape job roles to accommodate disability requirements and will test whether this opens up job opportunities for disabled people who need additional support to work.

The Access to Work Plus employer element has two funding streams. The workplace adjustment stream provides a one-off payment of up to £1,000 for adaptions the employer has made to the working environment to enable the disabled employee to work; the job role stream is available if the employer shapes or flexes the job role to enable the disabled employee to work. The total yearly amount of funding available is £3,000. This amount is banded to reflect the number of hours the employee works.

Other DWP support programmes

The Work and Health Programme provides voluntary contracted employment support in England and Wales. It is for disabled people and disadvantaged groups who are motivated to work and expect to find work within 12 months. Participants receive up to 15 months' pre-employment support and up to six months light-touch in-work support. The type of support is personalised to the needs of each participant.

Intensive Personalised Employment Support ( IPES) is voluntary provision for unemployed and economically inactive disabled people who have complex barriers to employment, are motivated to work, but need more than 12 months' intensive support before they can enter the labour market. The objective of IPES is to address these barriers and provide participants with the skills to either engage with, or move into, employment. IPES was launched in England and Wales in December 2019 to run for four years. Over 11,000 disabled people were supported on the programme by the time referrals ended in December 2023.

Since autumn 2022 DWP has been delivering Local Supported Employment services, working with 28 local authorities to help more learning disabled and autistic social care users get into and remain in employment. The aim of these pilots is to develop a model for delivering supported employment that can eventually be delivered by a wide range of local authorities.

2.12 DWP is also working with employers through Disability Confident to increase their capacity to recruit, retain and support disabled employees, including autistic people.

Previous research into autism employment

2.13 Only around 3 in 10 autistic people are in any kind of employment, defined as at least one hour of paid work per week. This is one of the worst employment rates of all disability groups, second only to people with learning disabilities (many of whom are also autistic). Contrary to stereotypes, even highly educated autistic people face significant barriers to work. Data from 2022 (the most recent available) from the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services ( AGCAS) shows that autistic graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed after 15 months as non-disabled graduates, with only 36% finding full time work in this period.

2.14 Autistic people are also more likely to be underemployed and held back from reaching their full potential. They face the largest pay gap of all disability groups, receiving on average a third less than non-disabled people. This gap narrows significantly when controlling for type of occupation, suggesting that a key driver is lack of representation in more senior roles. Autistic graduates also experience the worst outcomes of all disability groups across a range of measures used by AGCAS. They are the most likely to be overqualified for the job they have, the most likely to be on zero-hours contracts, and the least likely to be in a permanent role.

2.15 There is a wide range of potential barriers to work for autistic people: poor employer preparation, unfair hiring practices, unclear processes and outdated attitudes all play a role. From a young age, autistic people are less likely than their peers to have the time, connections or support to seek out work-related experiences, and career advisers are often poorly equipped to support them, with knock-on effects for later employment prospects. Research from Autistica and University College London's Diverse Minds Employment Survey found that autistic people have far more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests. Autistic jobseekers must navigate vague, generic job descriptions, ambiguous interview questions and challenging sensory environments, often with an emphasis on social skills rather than job skills. Many feel they must mask their autistic traits to succeed.

2.16 Even after finding work, maintaining the employment remains a challenge for autistic people. Many do not receive the necessary support or adjustments to fulfil their role in the face of inaccessible sensory and social environments. Many autistic adults may not be aware of their legal rights around reasonable adjustments. Others may be aware but reluctant to ask for them for fear of discrimination. Research from the Diverse Minds Employment Survey found that only 35% of autistic employees were fully open about being autistic across their organisation, with 1 in 10 not disclosing to anyone at work. Those who do disclose usually do so after starting a job - highlighting a persistent fear of discrimination during the recruitment process. Unfortunately, only 4 in 10 participants who disclosed to their employer said this had a positive impact.

2.17 Access to adjustments is still highly variable, with the onus usually on the autistic employee to identify and advocate for adjustments. In the Diverse Minds Employment Survey, almost one-third of autistic employees felt unable to discuss their adjustment needs at all. Of those who did request adjustments, over a quarter were refused and over 1 in 10 found the adjustment was poorly implemented.[footnote 10] Likewise, employers and managers often report poor knowledge of autism and feel underprepared to identify and implement adjustments for autistic people.[footnote 11]

2.18 Research has consistently shown the importance of employment for autistic people's mental wellbeing and overall quality of life,[footnote 12],[footnote 13] and autistic people are more likely to experience many of the worst outcomes associated with unemployment. Unemployment is a known risk factor for suicide,[footnote 14],[footnote 15] and Autistica-funded research has found that up to 11% of people who die by suicide in England may be autistic.[footnote 16] Autistic people are more than twice as likely to lack the necessary income to meet their basic needs compared with non-autistic people.[footnote 17] They are less likely to own their own home and more likely to live with their parents than any other disability group.[footnote 18] The autism employment gap is also hugely detrimental to the UK economy, costing approximately £14.5 billion every year.[footnote 19],[footnote 20],[footnote 21]

2.19 Autistic people can introduce different ways of thinking and working. A neurodiverse team is more likely to generate a wider range of ideas and avoid cognitive biases.[footnote 22] Businesses are beginning to recognise this, with some of the world's biggest companies now explicitly targeting recruitment of autistic and other neurodivergent people, although at this stage this is mainly confined to higher level, tech-based jobs.[footnote 23],[footnote 24],[footnote 25],[footnote 26]

3. Initiatives to raise awareness, capitalise on productivity and reduce stigma

Evidence and discussion with stakeholders

Productivity

3.1 Many of those consulted in this review reported that autistic staff can be more tightly focused and dedicated to the task than their neurotypical colleagues, and so quite often can be much more productive overall. Yet for many autistic staff, this high productivity does not necessarily result in job security and progression, with other issues holding them back.

Overcoming stigma and raising awareness

3.2 Respondents all reported that stigma and a lack of understanding of autism is a key factor in preventing autistic people from succeeding with their lives and careers. The effects can be cumulative. A lack of understanding among school, college or university staff could lead to poor educational outcomes, making it more difficult to secure work experience, construct a good CV or gain the entry-level qualifications required by many employers. A lack of understanding can lead to care workers wrongly advising autistic people that employment is not an achievable goal, and to public transport staff unknowingly making it difficult and stressful for them to travel to work.

3.3 Respondents noted that, despite the work of autism charities and other related organisations, there is still significant work to do in raising awareness amongst employers and the public of what autism is. Dispelling inaccurate and unhelpful stereotypes and making clear the value autistic people can bring to an organisation is vital.

3.4 Educational organisations, senior leaders and social influencers need to raise awareness of what autism is, how it might present in an individual autistic person and how autistic people can be supported to succeed in employment and in society. The right campaign along with education and training could help remove outmoded views and deep-seated stereotypes and focus attention on the strengths autistic people can bring rather than the "problems" that they might have.

3.5 Ambitious about Autism developed the Employ Autism network as an initiative to:

Offer paid internships for autistic young people

Ensure autistic people are visible in workplace systems, with work experiences suited to their abilities and strengths

Provide tailored training and support for partner employers.

3.6 The interim evaluation of the Employ Autism project showed that while direct training is an important foundational step in improving employers' understanding and inclusion practices, it should be part of a broader package of initiatives available to support autistic people. If that broad support is not provided to the employer or autistic employee, then what might start as relatively minor issues can escalate to the point where the employment breaks down. Such negative experiences can compound stigma and lead to both wariness on the employer's part in taking on another autistic employee and a further deterioration in the autistic person's confidence.

Perceived barriers to employment

3.7 While employers must treat all candidates equally under the Equality Act, research has highlighted that disabled people often face discrimination and negative attitudes when looking for work. Indeed, one in five employers is less likely to hire a disabled person.[footnote 27] In a 2020 study by the Institute of Leadership and Management, 50% of managers expressed discomfort with the idea of hiring disabled people.[footnote 28]

3.8 Employers' perceived barriers to hiring disabled people included:

3.9 This study was about wider disability. Regarding autism more specifically, recent studies have identified perceived barriers to employing autistic people and the wider neurodivergent community. Biases, stigma and stereotypes about autism and autistic people are related to:

Personal factors such as differences in communication style or information processing

Lack of understanding and knowledge about autism and neurodiversity

Environmental factors, such as how the environment can trigger specific behaviours, stress or anxiety

Social or system factors, for example myths about autism, and openness to difference and perceived experience of engaging with autistic people.

The Autistica Autism Attitudes Index (currently in development) will directly target these issues and inform metrics of systemic issues and changes in attitudes over time.

3.10 Concerns about the cost of workplace adjustments should not be serving as a substantial deterrent to employers, given that many adjustments for autistic staff would be very low cost or even free, and that programmes such as Access to Work can help with costs it would be unreasonable to expect an employer to meet. Some employers and individuals may still be unaware of the existence of Access to Work, and even if they are aware may be experiencing delays in securing it.

3.11 There are other schemes that can also help to tackle these barriers. Disability Confident was introduced in 2016 to educate employers on the processes needed to recruit, retain, and develop disabled people in their careers, as well as the confidence and skills to do so. However, research from Leonard Cheshire suggests that Disability Confident is not supporting employers to meet one of the key commitments of the programme: providing inclusive and accessible recruitment practices. Among employers, ensuring the interview and application processes were accessible were seen as considerable barriers to employing disabled people (40% and 44% respectively). These figures were higher among employers who were Disability Confident accredited (52% and 54% respectively).

Inclusion by design

3.12 Best practice involves not only making "reasonable" adjustments for disabled staff, but also adapting the working environment to meet the needs of all staff, leading to better team performance overall. For example:

Adapting the work timetable of an individual team that includes an autistic employee might also benefit others in the team

Noise-cancelling headphones that reduce sensory overload for autistic staff can also help other staff trying to concentrate in a noisy environment

A quiet space where an autistic staff member can take a few minutes' "time out" to recover from stress and anxiety can also benefit other staff.

3.13 Many employers are looking for examples of practices that have worked well for others and that they can apply in their own workplace. Access to Work, Disability Confident and other government initiatives can help to provide information and financial support to employers. Ultimately it will be up to individual employers to recognise the benefits autistic people can deliver, understand what needs to be done to support them to do their best and consistently deliver that support. But they would be helped by a comprehensive, easily accessible framework of advice and best practice that they can use as both a guide and a measure of their progress.

Recommendations

1. Work with autistic people, autism organisations, and employer-facing organisations to create a national campaign aimed at employers. Build a package of good news stories and testimonials from employers who employ autistic people and can speak about the benefits it brings to their businesses. Include examples of autistic people with successful careers, ideally in a range of industries, occupations, and levels, from entry level up to senior management. Highlight the availability and sources of advice and support that helped these employers. Include statistics showing that for certain jobs autistic staff can be more productive than neurotypical staff (with some statistics showing productivity improvements in some areas of work ranging from 45-145%). This campaign could start with a high-profile public launch of this report.

2. Promote the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index, which will enable organisations to measure themselves against best practice, highlight areas of strength and areas for improvement and include an annual awards programme. The Index will also provide guidance on how employers can design fully inclusive processes, procedures and premises so all staff can receive the support they need without autistic staff needing to disclose their condition. The Index had a limited release as a proof of concept with selected employers in autumn 2023, with a full launch open to employers from all market sectors scheduled for spring 2024.
3. Work with larger national or multinational organisations to develop small pilots of good practice, developing processes and support mechanisms that enable autistic staff to be recruited and to succeed. Assess the success of these pilots so that organisations have evidence for rolling them out more widely. Work with industry representative bodies to take the evidence from these pilots and disseminate it across other businesses in that industry.

4. Supporting autistic people to begin or return to a career

Evidence and discussion with stakeholders

Moving from education into employment

4.1 Navigating the education system can be a complex and challenging experience for all young people. It entails attempting to conform to a curriculum that is designed with numerous sessions, constant changes, socialisation requirements, and the establishment of social norms and cues. These aspects of the educational system often prove particularly difficult for autistic young people. Studying subjects that may not be relevant to their interests and abilities further adds to their challenges.

4.2 Some autistic young people may struggle with rules that seem illogical or nonsensical to them. Sensory overload and discomfort caused by elements like school uniforms or excessive noise may exacerbate their difficulties. The normal environment of a mainstream school presents a huge hypersensitivity challenge for many autistic children which, without the correct reasonable adjustments or resources, can contribute heavily to a negative educational experience.

4.3 It is important to note that these points are not exhaustive, as experiences can vary significantly between individual autistic people. Throughout the evidence gathering for this review, respondents from the education sector suggested that mainstream schools are finding it increasingly hard to adapt to the needs of autistic children. In a 2021 National Autistic Society Survey, 74% of 4,000 parents and carers stated that their child's school did not fully meet their child's needs.[footnote 29]

4.4 When these challenges become the day-to-day reality for a young person, the concepts of inclusion and guidance become increasingly difficult to reconcile. Consequently, a high proportion of autistic people do not complete secondary education, leaving without the Grade 4 in both Maths and English often specified in job advertisements. For those who have not completed secondary education, and who have been outside education for several years, attempting to re-enter a social environment such as employment can remind them of the frightening and confusing educational environment.

4.5 There can be a disparity in male and female experiences of education. Autistic girls will often stay in education longer, as they can sometimes mask their symptoms more effectively, but to the detriment of their own mental health.

4.6 Preparation for adulthood and employment needs to be a key part of the education autistic children receive. Not only does this help to raise their aspirations that employment can be a pathway for them; it also begins their understanding of what reasonable adjustments are and what adjustments they might need. The importance of integrating social skills training programmes within the education curriculum has been stressed by respondents throughout this review. Building effective communication, teamwork, and networking skills through these programmes can help autistic people navigate professional relationships more effectively.

4.7 There are already many successful initiatives in areas of England, Scotland and Wales that help autistic people understand all the paths available to them, and these initiatives can be replicated elsewhere.

Supported internships

4.8 Supported internships are available for 16- to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities ( SEND) and who have an education, health and care ( EHC) plan, to support them to move from education into work. The core aim of a supported internship study programme is completion of a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach who provides one-to-one support. As an example, DFN Project SEARCH is a charity providing one-year supported internships. Of Project SEARCH graduates:[footnote 30]

94% complete the programme

60% move into full-time jobs

Those who are employed work on average 25.4 hours per week

The average starting salary for graduates is above minimum wage.

Apprenticeships

4.9 Apprenticeships are intended to be a core part of the government's skills agenda, helping to grow the economy by improving the skills pipeline. Apprenticeships can give employees high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work, and can help employers train and develop their workforces to address industry skills gaps.

4.10 Apprentices undertaking a level 3 or higher apprenticeship are required to hold approved level 2 qualifications in English and maths before they can complete the apprenticeship.

4.11 For people with learning difficulties and disabilities who meet the occupational standard of their apprenticeship but do not have the English and maths minimum requirements, there is an option to complete entry level 3 functional skills instead. There are no industry-specific minimum requirements, but this option is considered on an individual basis where the following conditions are met:

The apprentice has either an existing or previously issued Education, Health and Care ( EHC) plan, a Statement of Special Educational Needs ( SEN) or a Learning Difficulty Assessment ( LDA)

The provider holds or has conducted an evidenced assessment demonstrating that, even with support, reasonable adjustments and stepping stone qualifications, the apprentice is not able to achieve the minimum level in English or maths as a result of their learning difficulty or disability

The employer and provider reasonably expect that the apprentice will be able to achieve all other aspects of the apprenticeship requirements, become occupationally competent and achieve entry level 3 in the adjusted subject(s) before the end of their apprenticeship.

4.12 The Department for Education is running a pilot to test the use of other evidence for determining the eligibility of apprentices with special education needs to access alternatives to the English and maths requirements. The outcome will be used to determine next steps, including possible changes to the funding rules.

Confidence and support

4.13 Research by the National Autistic Society found that the most common reason autistic people gave for not looking for work was a lack of confidence.[footnote 31] This can be a result of poor prior experiences of work, but also of negative educational or life experiences.

4.14 The National Autistic Society's Employment Team reported that autistic people are coming to the recruitment process without confidence that they can secure and keep employment. This is often caused by a lack of information about the workplace. Autistic young people may not have had the opportunity to gain work experience during their time at school, and may not be able to cope with volunteering, "Saturday jobs" and other ways that neurotypical people first experience work. They may not know what the workplace is like, how the recruitment process works or what jobs they would be suited for or would enjoy.

4.15 For many autistic people, some of the anxiety surrounding applying for a job can come from the need to decide whether to disclose that they are autistic. In a recent survey by the National Autistic Society's Autism Insight Panel, 68% of respondents said they did not disclose their diagnosis in their most recent job application.[footnote 32] Autistica has also funded research on disclosure in the workplace. This study found that 1 in 10 had not disclosed to anyone at work at all, and 65% were not open to their whole organisation about being autistic.

4.16 These results are fundamental in understanding the employment experiences of autistic people. They are representative of a collective anxiety: not an anxiety about their ability to do the job, but one which fears that their employment experience will be worse if they are known to be autistic.

4.17 Anxiety associated with the employment process can also be seen in the parents and carers of autistic people. As well as anxiety about the treatment their child will receive in the workplace, parents and carers may be anxious about the potential loss of benefits and given the low levels of confidence referred to above, anxious that their child can never succeed in securing stable employment bringing in earnings good enough to achieve independence.

It's not that we should just prepare autistic people to go to work, we should also prepare workplaces to receive autistic people.

- Ashraf, autistic employee at a major account firm

Assistive technology

4.18 Assistive technology can play a vital part in supporting someone with a learning disability or autism to excel in a role. From specialist communications equipment to simple tools such as a vibrating watch to remind a person of break times, it is important that autistic people have access to the tools they need.

4.19 The key barrier to accessing assistive technology is affordability. Where an individual has a care package or EHC plan, that package should include funding for assistive technology. If it is funded through Access to Work, the assistive technology should be portable to different workplaces (that is, a person should not need to return their assistive technology if they change employers).

4.20 There is also a lack of awareness of assistive technology among disabled people, those who support them (such as job coaches) and employers. It is often difficult to find out what equipment is available and appropriate. There is also low awareness of the accessibility tools that are already available and built into many standard pieces of technology.

Coaching support

4.21 For many autistic people seeking initial employment or returning to work, support from a coach will be essential. The coach can support an autistic person by:

Helping them match their skills to a role, including understanding that they don't necessarily need to have every skill in the job specification

Helping them to write engaging and confident personal statements

Preparing for the interview with site visits to ensure the autistic person is aware of the location, building layout, interview room, number of people involved in the interview, map of the site and so on

Giving advice on dress codes, bus routes and local amenities to support them getting to the job location and coping with it.

4.22 As each autistic person will have different needs, this support needs to be flexible and adaptable.

4.23 There are issues in many parts of the country with availability and quality of coaches. These are related to the difficulty in building a career as a coach when demand and funding is uncertain.

Access to Work support

4.24 Using specialist job coaches may be problematic for some autistic people, as they may need financial support. Although this may be available from Access to Work, awareness of the scheme is low, with just one in five disabled adults in the UK stating they currently receive or have previously received Access to Work support (the figure is not known for adults with a learning disability or autism). The application process can be difficult for an autistic person and there are often delays in funding being awarded, with almost two-thirds (61%) of disabled people stating that it took over three months for their application to be processed and 20% saying it took over six months. This means that for most disabled people, necessary equipment or support is not in place from day one, making it more difficult for them to start and stay in work.

Support resources like Access to Work are there, but people don't know that they exist. Even if they know, the packages are so difficult to access that sometimes people don't bother.

- Karen-Anne, autistic mentor to autistic students and employees

Recommendations

1. Identify and promote cross-industry autism employment support groups, including opportunities for volunteering and work shadowing, that autistic jobseekers can join to build their knowledge of employment and their confidence.

2. Ensure that the needs of autistic people are built into the design of the new Universal Support programme so they can receive a supported employment programme to prepare them for mainstream employment. Design entry routes to ensure a significant proportion of entrants are referred by autism-related organisations.

3. Promote supported internships as a good route for autistic young people to develop work experience and skills. Ensure providers are aware of the range of needs of autistic young people and are equipped to meet those needs. The Department for Education is piloting an entry route to supported internships for disabled people without an EHC plan. Push for a speedy rollout of that change across the country.

4. Promote apprenticeships as another good route to develop work experience and skills, highlighting the additional funding and support available. Many autistic young people will struggle to achieve the maths and English skills required to gain a higher-level apprenticeship. Although there are flexibilities in apprenticeship rules for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, these may require an EHC plan. Accepting that EHC plans can be difficult to obtain, remove this requirement and allow exemption on self-declaration.

5. Work with autism charities and other relevant groups to ensure autistic people know about Access to Work and the support it can provide to meet their recruitment and employment needs. Continue to improve the Access to Work programme: if the Adjustment Passport and Access to Work Plus pilots produce positive results, these should be rolled out nationally as soon as possible.

Case study: the Legal Neurodiversity Network

The Legal Neurodiversity Network originated in mid-2022 from conversations between passionate neurodiversity advocates from several law firms and the Law Society. In just over 12 months there were over 100 volunteer participants across more than 50 organisations. The Network hosts events which bring together individuals with lived experience and allies across the industry, focusing on improving representation and progression of neurodivergent professionals. Some events are themed around specific conditions and roles. While there is still room for improvement in recruitment practices, accommodations and mental health support across the sector, members are encouraged to see more new and existing legal professionals disclosing neurodivergent conditions as well as more employers introducing adjustments and tailored support packages.

5. Making recruitment practices meet the needs of autistic applicants

Evidence and discussion with stakeholders

Training and awareness for employers

5.1 Recruitment can be a real challenge for many businesses. They can struggle to recruit for certain skills, and many industries face significant labour shortages. Making a business neuro-inclusive can widen the pool of people to recruit from, enable neurodiverse people to reach their potential at work, and aid retention. Ignoring neurodiversity means businesses are overlooking and underutilising a substantial talent pool.

My CV is littered with the word 'autism', because it's either support work, or tutoring, or mentoring, or it's my education, it's all autism-centric. But that's generated a load of transferable skills, soft skills, knowledge skills, that employers just don't see. A lot of autistic people start this way - we cut our teeth on what's closest to us and develop all these rich skills.

- Jack, autistic researcher and doctoral teaching assistant

Disclosure and reasonable adjustments

5.2 Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to the interview process. Adjustments such as sending the interview questions in advance can be vital in reducing anxiety for autistic applicants and making the process more accessible. It is important that autistic people feel comfortable disclosing their needs so that they can request, or be offered, these adjustments.

5.3 Making inclusion the default, so an autistic person need not disclose their autism to secure the support they need, has been suggested by many respondents to the review; especially as many autistic adults have never had a diagnosis and may not know they are autistic. The aim of the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index is to help organisations adopt best practice so that the recruitment process is accessible to every applicant and appropriate support is available to meet all needs. This removes the onus on autistic people to disclose and ask for adjustments. More inclusive practices would help employers more generally, ensuring all applicants can show their best and their skills and experience can be matched most appropriately to a job.

5.4 A 2022 paper on autistic adults' experiences of workplace adjustments found that: [footnote 33]

5.5 The National Autistic Society Autism Insight Panel showed that of applicants who had disclosed their needs, just 11% were offered reasonable adjustments. This contributes to the unwillingness of people to disclose their autism. If they are already fearful of prejudice, they see no point in disclosing if they believe they will not get any adjustments anyway.

5.6 If employers advertise that they are willing to make reasonable adjustments autistic people would feel more confident disclosing their need for extra support. It is also important that employers engage in conversation with autistic people to see what methods will work for them. However, the onus should not always be on the autistic person to know exactly what they will need and to have to advocate for it.

5.7 Training and awareness of autism as a spectrum condition is particularly important. Not all autistic people will have communication difficulties; many will be able to communicate well with others.

5.8 Many autistic people will have learnt to mask their needs, as autistic traits aren't always obvious. An autistic person who appears engaged and attentive might still have difficulty fully understanding what is being said to them or communicating everything they want to say. For those autistic people who do have information processing challenges, employers need to understand that taking time to answer questions and complete tasks at interview is not a reflection on cognitive ability or on the ability to undertake a role, but rather reflects a different way of thinking and interpreting information before responding.

5.9 Despite many employers being understanding and supportive, most autistic people have negative experiences from previous interviews. This means many expect injustice or discrimination and therefore choose to not disclose. This is a difficult issue to tackle and will only be remedied by consistent and committed work to improve the understanding of autism across the entire country.

My message to potential employers: be flexible to my changing needs. Be aware I will have off days. I will also have great days which will absolutely make up for this.

- Vicky

Modernising recruitment practices

5.10 The traditional model of sending a curriculum vitae ( CV) against a generic job specification, being shortlisted, attending a face-to-face interview with strangers, and being asked questions they have not seen before does not work well for autistic people.

5.11 Research suggests interviews may not be a fair or necessary way to recruit autistic candidates.[footnote 34] Ambitious about Autism surveyed over 500 autistic young people and their parents and carers: 73% felt that being anxious about the application and the interview process not being accessible to them were the biggest barriers to finding work.[footnote 35]

5.12 Interviews of the "tell us about yourself and your achievements" sort can put neurodivergent people at a disadvantage. For example, some autistic people may be overly honest about weaknesses, struggle with eye contact, or lack confidence because of previous bad experiences. Asking hypothetical or abstract questions can put autistic applicants into a stressful and anxious state, further impairing their interview performance.

5.13 Respondents suggested that tools such as practical tests, assignments to be completed before interview and short-term attachments to the organisation would better allow autistic candidates to demonstrate the skills and aptitudes required for the job role. As one autistic respondent put it: "If someone is applying for a job as a violinist in an orchestra, they are not asked to tell the interviewer something about their achievements playing the violin: they are asked to play the violin."

5.13 Every team wants members who interact, collaborate and work together well. But if an individual struggles with small talk and "team building" it does not mean they will be a poor team member or unable to work collaboratively. This means interviews need to focus more on the range of skills needed to take on the role, and less on social skills.

In almost every job spec, you get things like 'must be a team player'. This debars people who are not team players, but not every job needs a team player.

- David, diagnosed as autistic after retiring from a career in IT-enabled business strategy and transformation

Job descriptions

5.14 Job descriptions can present a huge barrier to autistic people. They are often too long and cover every single possible element of a role. Many autistic people rule themselves out because they think the role is beyond their capabilities. The language used within most traditional job descriptions also presents a huge challenge. Confusing jargon, overlapping and ambiguous statements and "generic" sections in a job description may exclude autistic participants from submitting applications.

Artificial intelligence and automated filtering processes

5.15 Many organisations are now outsourcing their recruitment filtering to companies using automated filtering or are themselves using artificial intelligence packages to screen candidates. This can prove to be equally challenging and limiting for autistic candidates. Autistic and neurodivergent candidates can be penalised by artificial intelligence packages that analyse eye contact and mannerisms to measure social interaction ability. Software can also rule out candidates with significant gaps in their employment history, which will include many autistic people.

Many large and medium-sized companies have outsourced the first stage of recruitment via agencies, and the agencies have outsourced it to bots. So what's happening is that the consideration of CVs and completed forms is a tick-box exercise, and I think autistic people are often disadvantaged in that process

- David, diagnosed as autistic after retiring from a career in IT-enabled business strategy and transformation

No HR bot in the world looking at my CV would ever give me an interview. My CV is eight pages long and has gaps all the way through it, because that was how I coped.

- Chris, autistic IT consultant

Recommendations

9. Ensure careers advisers in schools, colleges, the National Careers Service in England and equivalents in devolved administrations all have a good understanding of autism, know how to support autistic customers appropriately and can provide appropriate advice to autistic people seeking a first job or a career change.

10. Continue to develop Disability Confident, increasing the rigour of developmental work needed to achieve the higher Disability Confident levels, increasing the frequency and rigour of Disability Confident assessments and building in strong links to the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index, so autistic jobseekers can seek out Disability Confident organisations knowing they will offer support

11. Consider how the online Support with Employee Health and Disability ( SEHD) service can link employers to appropriate and accessible advice on best practice for recruiting and supporting autistic staff.

12. Engage with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, advising on the benefits autistic candidates can bring to businesses, how to remove barriers to recruiting them, and how these improved processes can be applied to the recruitment of all candidates. Explain how this will produce better matches and improved business performance. Share with the Confederation and individual recruitment agencies strong case histories of successful autistic staff that they can use in conversations with client employers.

13. Identify and promote sources of information and support on becoming self- employed or establishing a social enterprise or Community Interest Company. Work with the Access to Work team to ensure application processes for support with self-employment are reasonably accessible.

6. Supporting autistic people already in the workforce

Evidence and discussion with stakeholders

Understanding autism

6.1 One of the biggest barriers to autistic employees being appropriately supported in the workplace is a lack of understanding of autism amongst employers. In research conducted by the National Autistic Society, 50% of autistic people said that support, understanding or acceptance would be the biggest thing that would help them in employment.

6.2 In a YouGov survey conducted on behalf of the National Autistic Society, 34% of employers said that they thought an autistic person would be unlikely to fit into their team, and 28% said that autistic people would be unlikely to be a team player. These are damaging stereotypes, which can impact the ability of autistic people to find employment. It can make them less likely to disclose their diagnosis to either a prospective or current employer, and so not get access to crucial reasonable adjustments.

6.3 Stereotypes and a lack of understanding in the workplace can lead to negative experiences of employment. In a National Autistic Society 2016 report, 48% of respondents said that they had experience of bullying or harassment in the workplace. This statistic demonstrates the unwelcoming environment that many autistic people experience at work.

Building an inclusive and safe working culture and practices

6.4 All respondents emphasised that disclosing their autism should always remain the autistic person's voluntary decision. Some autistic people will not want to be identified as autistic because it will set them apart from colleagues, others may be afraid of the consequences of speaking up, and some may never have had a diagnosis and may not know they are autistic. However, many autistic people are proud of their identity and are comfortable disclosing it.

6.5 It is vital that employers create a safe space where those autistic employees who wish to disclose can feel comfortable in doing so, and the right culture is fundamental in enabling this.

6.6 A fully inclusive working culture and practices can also reduce the need to disclose autism and ask for special workplace adjustments. These fully inclusive workplaces can then enable all staff - including autistic, other neurodiverse and neurotypical staff - to be fully productive.

6.7 Respondents agreed that having the right culture is a prerequisite for identifying autistic employees who need support. The right culture is one that:

Accepts and understands autistic people without judgement or stigma, and treats them as part of the workforce regardless of what support they need, if any

Listens to autistic employees and values their input

Values the contribution that autistic people make to the organisation and its success, and celebrates this in ways which are proportionate, consonant with wider workplace culture, and which do not patronise or unnecessarily elevate

Normalises adaptations so these are part of working practice by default

Prioritises the mental health of autistic employees, both in making adaptations and in providing access to appropriate support when required

Deals immediately and sensitively with the challenges some autistic staff may be facing, taking a personalised approach to understanding an autistic person's needs and drawing on external support when this is appropriate.

Providing appropriate support

6.8 Many of the employers who spoke to the review said that they generally want to support autistic employees, but often don't know how. In a YouGov survey for the National Autistic Society 60% of employers said they would worry about getting support for autistic people wrong, and the same number said they did not know where to go for support or advice about employing an autistic person.

"Now that I have a formal diagnosis and can legally request reasonable adjustments, I find myself wondering how much I can request to give myself a fair chance without being perceived as difficult.

- Sarah

Company training

6.9 It is vital that employers have a good understanding of autism so they understand how to make adaptations for autistic staff. Internal staff training can help with this but some respondents reported that training on autism run by employers and training providers is often poor. Oversimplification, reliance on the medical model and a one-size-fits-all approach are not only outdated but are now doing more harm than good, reinforcing stereotypes and low expectations for autistic people.

6.10 There is also too often an absence of detailed training on how to provide the right support for autistic staff, such as what constitutes a workplace adjustment, how these can help, and how they can be implemented. This training is either unavailable or very basic, making inappropriate assumptions about what autistic people may need and failing to take account of individual differences.

The role of line managers

6.11 For most autistic staff, their immediate line manager is the person they will turn to for understanding and support. Whatever the level of understanding among company directors or senior staff, if the immediate line manager is not able or willing to provide support then the autistic staff member will struggle and perhaps be unable to continue in their employment.

6.12 The National Autistic Society has found that the best employment situations result from autistic staff having strong relationships with their colleagues, especially line managers. A strong, supportive work relationship between line manager and employee also allows more autistic employees to feel confident in disclosing their autism.

6.13 It is very important that autistic people feel comfortable asking questions of their line manager or asking for clarification of tasks or instructions without fear of being judged. Line managers should be able to adapt their management style to meet the needs of individual staff members. They should also have a good understanding of what adjustments can be made, an understanding of the (often simple) adjustments they themselves can make, and a willingness to act as advocates for their autistic staff in securing more substantial adjustments.

6.14 For many line managers, there is no easily accessible guide they can use or best practice they can follow to develop a support package for their autistic staff. Without this guidance many line managers will be afraid of getting the support wrong and will believe they are at risk of legal challenge.

I have worked in a large number of different organisations, of different sizes and with different ethics. Each of them is different. In every office I've been in, there's a whole set of unwritten rules, and they really don't make sense to me. It's like starting a new game and not being given the rules while everyone else has them.

- Chris, autistic IT consultant

Work environment

6.15 Aspects of the work environment can be distracting or contribute to sensory overload - for example bright lighting, hotdesking or high noise levels. Some autistic people may find constant attendance in an office stressful. Flexibility with start and finish times, quiet spaces for "down time" and working at home at least part of the time can reduce this stress. Individuals will have their own preferences and should be able to ask for these to be implemented without fear of repercussions.

Put me in an open-plan office and it's a nightmare - always has been, but I didn't know why when I was younger.

- Geoff

6.16 Too often, autistic people needed to disclose their autism in order to access adjustments to the work environment, with a perceived risk of doing so. Some organisations, however, were implementing "inclusion by design", with highly flexible workspaces and practices where any employee could organise their own work environment to suit them without needing to disclose anything. This was seen as an example of good practice that other organisations should follow.

Other support

6.17 As well as support from line managers, autistic employees might also need support from other channels within and outside of an organisation, such as Human Resources professionals, job coaches, vocational support providers, mentors or external networks. Many autistic people will struggle to understand who they might need to speak to and how to put these things together.

My biggest challenge at work is peer relationships and the social expectations to fit in. Being autistic means that work uses up more of my energy than most other people. The additional expectations to socialise with work colleagues uses even more of this precious energy.

- Sarah

6.18 We heard many good examples of organisations providing extensive and effective support for their autistic and neurodiverse staff which could be replicated more broadly. Firms such as SAP and Microsoft have developed a "support circles" model that combines elements within the organisation such as the line manager, relevant HR professional, and mentor or "buddy" (collectively, the "internal circle") with external elements such as job coaches, mentors, family, and friends. This effectively acts as a support ecosystem for all employees and can be accessed without having to disclose any particular condition.

6.19 A particularly good example of encouraging and supporting neurodiverse staff came from the Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ). Its recruitment advertisements say it is looking for people who think differently. For example: "We'll really value how you solve unique problems in your own unique way". This helps to build an overall culture where neurodiversity is seen as an asset to be welcomed rather than a problem to be overcome.

6.20 GCHQ has established a Disability and Neurodiversity ( DAN) team, which is a funded business unit. The DAN team has created comprehensive guidance organised by issues rather than diagnosis: for example, problems with concentration and focus, relating to colleagues, or understanding instructions. Staff with difficulties are advised to refer first to this guidance which can often resolve the problem.

6.21 Where this is not enough, any staff member can ask for a meeting with a specialist neurodiversity advisor. This is a highly knowledgeable and experienced agent engaged on an external contract who will prepare a report identifying ways to overcome the difficulties, including any special adjustments that might help. The report goes to the staff member and, with their agreement, to their line manager. The line manager can then ask for advice and coaching on how to support the staff member. If adjustments are needed the DAN team advises on sources of funding and how to procure them. The adjustments are then recorded in an Adjustments Passport, which the staff member can take with them if they move roles.

6.22 This formal process is supplemented with a range of voluntary staff "affinity groups" where staff who have something in common can advise and support each other. One of these affinity groups is focused on autism.

Recommendations

14. Work with the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group and staff team to identify Disability Confident firms who have experience in successfully employing autistic people and achieving culture change. They can act as role models and guides for other Disability Confident organisations.

15. Work with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to ensure the 2018 Neurodiversity at Work guidance is publicised and accessible to employers. Developed in collaboration with Uptimize, this provides good practice guidance on developing a neuroinclusive organisation.

16. Work with autism charities to produce "autism design guides" for a range of industries. Show how to create appropriate and supportive design of premises, furnishings, equipment and procedures, and include examples of where these have worked well.

17. Work with software suppliers and suppliers of adaptive technology to develop IT systems that meet autistic people's needs. Where these systems are already in place, work with the suppliers to promote them widely and include guidance on how to access them.

Case study: HMRC

HMRC is committed to modern, inclusive working environments that are welcoming for all. To make this a reality, HMRC has a department-wide community of neurodivergent colleagues and holds monthly departmental autism support calls. Autism advocates raise awareness, running weekly autism cafés and signposting support. HMRC has also piloted autism awareness learning for customer facing teams, held two autism conferences, and started hosting "Project Search" interns. Research conducted evaluated the employee experience of neurodivergent colleagues to inform strategic priorities.

Design experts for HMRC's new regional centres worked with its neurodiverse communities to develop sensory-muted design. This included a variety of wall and desk finishes and sensory-muted "pods". The Construction Industry Council has since awarded HMRC thirteen "Inclusive Environments Recognition" awards.

7. Supporting autistic staff to develop their careers

Evidence and discussion with stakeholders

7.1 Respondents noted that progression should not be forced on those who are happy in their roles and happy with the tasks that their role entails.

7.2 For those autistic employees who do wish to progress, however, there are several reasons why they could miss out on progression opportunities, including lack of confidence, poor self-advocacy, wrong assumptions being made about their career goals, and established but mistaken views about what a manager or a leader is like.

7.3 There are few examples of senior managers or executives who are autistic and prepared to be open about their condition. For many autistic people, this lack of champions and role models will have a negative effect on their confidence and aspirations.

7.4 There are common negative stereotypes that autistic people are better suited to certain roles, such as data checking or coding, and are not well suited to working with or managing other people. These incorrect and negative stereotypes can hold back autistic people who are looking to progress in their career.

7.5 The National Autistic Society's Autism at Work team reports that many autistic people feel they are being overlooked for promotion or progression due to misunderstanding by their employers. Autistic people told the team that they feel these opportunities often go to their colleagues who are more comfortable with networking. Furthermore, autistic people can struggle when emphasis is placed on the social part of a job, such as team socials or after work drinks. Autistic people are likely to find this harder to navigate than the more structured parts of the working environment.

7.6 The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services publishes an annual report on employment of disabled graduates,[footnote 36] which goes into more detail on type and stability of employment - autistic people fare worst in virtually all outcomes.

7.7 Office for National Statistics data on the disability pay gap [footnote 37] shows that autistic people face the largest pay gap of all disability groups, earning on average a third less than non-disabled people. However, this gap reduces considerably when controlling for other factors such as type of employment. This suggests that the pay gap is largely due to autistic people being unable to get into more senior, better paid roles.

7.8 In most sectors, progression coincides with new responsibilities to manage staff. Some autistic people may find this difficult or overwhelming: but each autistic person is different. Many autistic people want to manage or would like to do so with the appropriate support in place. In the absence of any support, many skilled autistic people will lack confidence and will not seek promotion opportunities.

Appraisals and goal setting

7.9 Expectation setting is important in helping autistic people develop and progress in their careers. Managers too often neglect to talk openly with their staff about their career goals or to create a structured plan that supports their development towards those goals.

7.10 For any employee, clear and structured appraisals by line managers give them the information they need to improve their performance and overcome weaknesses. Autistic staff benefit particularly by this appraisal being regular and structured. With busy workloads regular feedback and appraisals can be swept aside, often to the detriment of autistic employees. Ensuring one-to-one meetings are regular and structured is important, as is the way they are handled. Issues autistic people have faced during these meetings include:

Feedback too direct - offering no reassurance that the employee is successful in other areas of work

Negative feedback not given explicitly and left for the employee to pick up through social cues

Timings for tasks not adequately specified

Well-being checks not forming part of the discussion - solely work-based conversations that do not review the autistic person's work/life balance, do not consider if an autistic employee needs any further adjustments or if their adjustments are currently working, and do not consider overall workloads when combined with coping with issues outside work.

Autistic people have brilliant skills and ways of thinking. In my career I have been promoted several times and moved into senior positions very quickly as I am able to problem solve and think outside the box but without proper support it makes it difficult to maintain and burnout is a real issue. As I am high masking, I am able to hide my differences and difficulties fairly well which means I am often overlooked for support. If I reach out for help it's often assumed that I'll just figure it out and I can be left feeling overwhelmed and confused.

- Jasmine, recently diagnosed with autism and ADHD and now getting support

Recommendations

18. Promote the value of employee resource groups and support networks within larger organisations, helping to develop new skills and a network of contacts to succeed at the next level up. Promote the use of mentors and buddies to support staff in developing the skills and behaviours needed to progress.

19. Work with autism charities, CIPD, management training organisations and other advice organisations to develop packages of strength-based training focused on helping autistic staff to progress. These packages should identify skills mismatches and gaps and suggest ways of dealing with these - for example, by building existing skills, or by reshaping jobs within the team to better match staff skill sets to roles

Case study: Auticon

Auticon is a consulting company solely employing autistic people as data and cyber consultants. Beginning in the Nordic countries in 2008, Auticon now employs over 450 autistic IT consultants in 15 countries. Over 80% of their workforce is autistic.

Auticon launched in London in 2016 and has expanded into Scotland with the launch of an Edinburgh site in 2019. Currently they employ over 60 people in the UK, with 41 consultants.

Auticon's business model is based on the concept of classic IT consultancy: highly talented IT experts are employed at Auticon on a permanent basis. Each person's individual skill set is matched to a specific client project. Corporate clients include PWC, Zurich, Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte and KPMG and are charged a day rate that matches industry standards.

Auticon believe that autistic adults often have extraordinary technical or cognitive abilities such as pattern recognition, sustained concentration and exceptional attention to detail. Yet many find it difficult to secure or maintain mainstream employment. Auticon offers a range of support to their consultants including job coaching, autism training for clients and career development opportunities. Its impact goes beyond consultants, with client teams reporting that their understanding of the potential of autistic people to strengthen teams had increased and they recognise the potential for unconscious bias in talent acquisition.

Auticon is clear that it is not providing tokenistic roles and is not a charity. Consultants are employed on their capabilities, but Auticon helps them to navigate the elements of employment they may find challenging.

8. Summary and next steps

Summary of the review

8.1 Dr Anne Collis, the co-founder of the NeuDICE Community Interest Company working to improve self-employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for autistic people, and autistic herself, gives this summary of why this review matters:

The UK needs us. It needs us as part of co-designing solutions. It needs us for a strong, stable economic future. It needs us for stronger communities. As long as we are shut out or only allowed to play if we follow the existing rules, the UK as a whole is poorer and weaker.

8.2 Autistic people, like any other group, have a wide range of skills, interests, and experience. But they will tend to think, communicate and act differently from neurotypical people. Those different approaches to cognition and communication can be a real source of strength at a time when the country is seeking to grow its economy and cope with the many challenges posed by inflation, climate change, an ageing population, and constraints on natural resources. However, all too often autistic people are prevented from using their skills, experience and different approach by unhelpful processes and a lack of appropriate support.

8.3 This situation can be changed. It will not need vast sums of government money or enormous new programmes. It will instead require changes to ways of thinking and working, which can often be small, cheap and capable of rapid implementation. Many of these changes will not only benefit autistic people but all employees, jobseekers and employers. We hope that this review and the recommendations it contains can be a start down that path.

Next steps

Connecting with existing work

8.4 The recommendations set out in this report have been selected to be practically achievable in a short to medium timeframe. None requires any new legislation. None requires massive injections of government funding. Many of the developments are already under way and will just require some steering to ensure the lived experience and needs of autistic people are fully taken into account. These include:

8.5 We recognise that the transformational change needed cannot happen everywhere all at once. Instead, we are seeking to generate a wave of improvement: starting from small ripples (proof of concept work, demonstration projects within particular geographical areas of smaller companies), then using these as the evidence on which to build small waves of change (rolling out across the larger company, public sector organisations, or a particular industry). Finally we aim to produce a sea change in accepted good practice which any employer would want to and be expected to follow. We are aware this could take some years to complete and will need a dedicated team to make it happen.

Task group to drive the work

8.6 Many of the recommendations will be long-term projects and will require continual monitoring, adjustment and prompting. This argues for the creation of a task group to oversee the work. Although the recommendations are aimed mainly at changing employer behaviour, they are structured as activities for the task group to promote and monitor.

8.7 The task group should be chaired by a respected independent person who is separate from government and clearly represents autistic people and their needs. The collaboration between Autistica and DWP has worked very well for the review, with Autistica able to broker strong involvement from other autism charities, and DWP able to connect to employers and other government departments and bodies. The secretariat to the task group should therefore comprise a similar mix of voluntary sector and government representatives.

Evidence-based development and the need for further research

8.8 Our aim in creating this review has been to base it firmly on available evidence. We know that the evidence in some areas is slim or non-existent and, as the wave of improvement grows, we wish to evaluate the effects and use that evaluation to further develop the evidence base. This means continued evidence gathering and analysis. We will explore with autism charities and other stakeholders how this can best be managed and funded.

9. Evidence contributors

Roundtable events

Cabinet Office: Disability Unit

Disability Unit Colleagues

East Midlands Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

Greater London Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

Northwest Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

Southeast Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

Southwest Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

West Midlands Regional Stakeholder Network Chair

Autism charities

Ambitious about Autism

Autism Alliance

Autistica

Employment Autism

National Autistic Society

United Response

Amazon UK

Brew House and Kitchen

Burch House

CBRE

City of London Corporation

DFN Project Search

Google UK

Iasme

Lend Lease

Microlink

Microsoft UK

Travers Smith

VM/O2

Neurodiversity in Business organised roundtable

Amazon UK

Ambassador Theatre Group

Anglo American

Arm

AstraZeneca

Balfour Beatty

BaxterStorey

Capco

Churchill

Churchill Group

Cisco

Colombia Threadneedle

Crayon Ltd

CubeLynx

Cyberfort

Directline Group

Dyer & Butler

EIB

Experian

Global Centre of Rail Excellence

Green Park

IBM United Kingdom Ltd

Investments

Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions

Liberty Specialty Markets

Lloyds Banking Group

Made Tech

MBDA UK Ltd

Motor Insurers' Bureau

Mott MacDonald

Orange

PageGroup

PeoplePlus

Protiviti

PwC

Rolls-Royce SMR

RSM UK

Shawbrook Bank

Stanton Chase

Starling Bank

Thales

The Bank of Nova Scotia

The Go-Ahead Group

The Phoenix Group

The Walt Disney Company

Virgin Active

Autistica organised roundtable

Auticon

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West NHS Trust

City University of London

Deutsche Bank

Fourth Floor

Autistica community group

Ashraf Al-Fosaiel - KPMG

Chris Lever - Auticon

David Henderson - Personal development mentor

Dom Shaw (UKIE)

Geoff Dunbar - Retired

Jack Whitfield - University of Plymouth

Karen-Anne Manghan - ASC Mentoring

Disability Confident Business Leaders Group

AdviserPlus

Channel 4

Coca Cola European Partners plc

Fearless Adventures

Ford of Britain

GSK

John Lewis Partnership

Kier Highways

KPMG

Leathwaite

M & G plc

Microsoft UK

PurpleSpace

Scope UK

Sodexo

DWP Health model offices

Aberdare Job Centre Staff

Croydon Job Centre Staff

Gosport Job Centre Staff

Grantham Job Centre Staff

Leeds Eastgate Job Centre Staff

National Employer and Partnership Team

Paisley & Fraserburgh Job Centre Staff

Slough Job Centre Staff

Stourbridge Job Centre Staff

Sunderland Job Centre Staff

Wigan Job Centre Staff

Within the mentioned Job Centres: Disability Employment Advisers, Disability Employment Advisor Leaders, Employment Advisers, Work Coaches and Work Coach Team Leaders

HMO Operational Project Team

Education groups

Ambitious About Autism Employability Lead

Catcote Academy

Chadsgrove School, Worcestershire

City College Norwich, Paston College and Easton College

Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership

Limpsfield Grange School

St Giles School, Retford

The Westminster School, West Midlands

West Midlands Combined Authority

Weston College

Worcestershire County Council - Worcestershire SEND & NDTi Internships Work

Local authorities

Barking & Dagenham

Bradford

Chester West & Chester

Durham

Gloucestershire

Hertfordshire

Kirklees

Lancashire

Leicester

Lincolnshire

Norfolk

Oxfordshire

Pembrokeshire

Salford

Sandwell

Southampton

Surrey

Tower Hamlets

Wakefield

Insurance industry

Ageas

Beazley

EY

Gain

Guardian FS

Legal and General

Liberty Global

Monica Garcia Consulting

QBE

RSA

Saga

Swiss RE

Zurich

Technology organisations and experts

Achieve Ability

Ace Centre

Assistive Technology Journal

ATech

Avanade

Barry Sheerman MP

BBC Cape

Bournemouth University

Brain in Hand

British Association for Support Employment

Business Disability Forum

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

DFN Project SEARCH

eQS

London South Bank University

Microsoft

National Association of Disability Practitioners in HE

Open University

Policy Connect

Tech for Disability

The Oaks Specialist College

Legal Neurodiversity Network

AS Mentoring

Autism Forward

Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Freshfields

Herbert Smith Freehills

Julie West Solicitors

Law Society Disabled Solicitors Network

Neurodiversity in Law

No5 Chambers

Pinsent Masons

Simmons & Simmons

Stephenson Harwood LLP

The Law Society of England and Wales

Other evidence engagement

Government

Cross Government Autism Network

Department for Business and Trade

Department for Education

Department of Health and Social Care

Department for Work and Pensions Human Resources

Department for Work and Pensions policy colleagues

Government Communications Headquarters

Home Office

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing: Claire Coutinho (at time of consultation)

National Employment Partnership Team

Scottish Government policy colleagues

Welsh Government policy colleagues

Organisations and individuals

Active Oxfordshire

Adriel Yap - lived experience

Alfie Wolf - lived experience

ASPIE, a social, support and therapy group for adults with Asperger's Syndrome

Aubilities

Autism Wales

Aviva Investors

Barndale Special School

British Association of Supported Employment (BASE)

British Association of Social Workers: Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD)

David Downes - lived experience

DFN Project Search - St George's Hospital

Dimensions

Down Syndrome Association

Dr Anna Remington: An internship programme for Autistic Graduates at Deutsche Bank

Dr Graham Webb - lived experience

Dr Jonathan Vincent - Lancaster University

Dr Louise Nash - University of Essex

Dr Marc Fabri - Leeds Beckett University

Dr Mitzi Walts - Free University Amsterdam

Dr Peter Tyerman - Retired GP

Elizabeth Pellicano: An internship programme for Autistic Graduates at Deutsche Bank

EY Lane 4

GAIN

Helen Mariner - lived experience

HFT

Hidden Disabilities: Sunflower

Institute of Government and Public Policy

James Cheriton - Education sector consultant

Jan Lawler MA - University of Sheffield

Jane Appleton - lived experience

Joyfully Different Limited

Liam P Rigby -lived experience

Max J Green - lived experience

Martin Bloomfield: Dyslexia Bytes and Autism Spectrum Pathways

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc

Nationwide Building Society

Neurodiversity Together - Steven Ingram

NeuDice

NHS

Nimmi Shah - lived experience

Professor Richard Mills

Rangam

Recruitment and Employment Confederation

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Samuel Robinson - lived experience

SeeAbility

Sir Robert Buckland constituents - South Swindon

Social Firm Wales

TalkTalk

The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services

The London School of Economics and Political Science

The Mason Foundation

The Pennyhooks Farm Trust

The Salvation Army

Tim Fallowfield

University of Reading

Youth Futures Foundation

Annex 1: Terms of reference for the Buckland Review of Autism Employment

Context

Data from the Office of National Statistics shows that autistic people have amongst the lowest employment rate of any disabled group in the UK. In the year 2020/21 only around 26% of working age autistic people are in employment, compared to around half of disabled people generally and eight in 10 of the general population. (The latest data for 2021/22 shows a slight improvement but only to around 30%). Similarly, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services report that just over a third (36.2%) of autistic graduates are in full-time employment, the lowest rate of all disabled groups. More generally, neurodivergent people are greatly under-employed, with those considered to have "severe or specific learning difficulties" or "mental illness or nervous disorders" also facing amongst the lowest employment rates across disability groups.

The impacts of the employment gap are serious and multifaceted:

For autistic people: Employment can be critical to a person's mental wellbeing, financial stability, independence and overall quality of life. Many of the worst outcomes associated with unemployment and under-employment are rife across autistic people, including poverty, poor mental health, limited independence and harrowing suicide rates. Compared to almost any other disabled group, autistic people are less likely to report feeling happy, satisfied with their life or that "the things I do in life are worthwhile".

For employers: Neurodiversity is a vital but too often under-utilised resource for employers across the private, public and voluntary and community sectors. We know that autistic people have certain strengths that can help them outperform their non-autistic peers, particularly those requiring attention to detail, focus and information processing. At an organisational level, autistic people introduce different ways of thinking and working. For complex tasks that involve problem solving or creative thinking, like developing new products or business strategies, a neurodiverse team is more likely to avoid cognitive biases, generate a wider range of ideas to consider and confer a competitive advantage over other organisations.

For the economy: The best economic models suggest that the UK economy loses approximately £14.5 billion every year because autistic people are unemployed or otherwise unable to participate in the workforce. The Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts that changes to the labour market will be the "lynchpin" that determines the UK's economic recovery from the pandemic. As our economy adjusts, many sectors are facing shortages in labour which are harming economic growth and disrupting voters' lives. Approximately 1 in 10 people has a neurodevelopmental condition, while the Labour Force Survey indicates there are approximately half a million autistic people not in employment.

Focus, format, secretariat and timing of the review

Focus: The review will focus specifically on autistic people. However, many of the adjustments and initiatives that would benefit autistic people could also benefit a wider group of people who think differently, including those with other neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The review is intended to complement, rather than duplicate, the government's national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021-26, which also recognises employment as a priority. Whereas the autism strategy covers a breadth of issues that impact autistic people, this review will focus on providing depth to the commitment to significantly increase the number of autistic people in high-quality and sustainable employment. Specifically, it will focus on identifying effective solutions to the problems of identifying and supporting existing autistic staff; encouraging and supporting autistic people to take up employment; encouraging and supporting autistic people in employment to secure promotions and grow their careers; and identifying systemic barriers that prevent these things happening.

Out-of-scope: The Review will not examine the overall organisation or performance of education, inpatient healthcare and adult social care services for autistic people as these topics are already the subject of the government's SEND Review, the Building The Right Support programme and Build Back Better plan respectively. The Review may, however, make limited recommendations for specific interventions that concern these settings, if they are deemed to be critical with regard to employment and unlikely to be affected by wider policy changes in those areas.

Format: The Review will put out a targeted call for evidence on different aspects of these challenges, with a particular focus on evidence from employers and employer groups including the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group and Neurodiversity in Business; and will hold a series of meetings and conferences to gain the views of experts in the field.

In considering prospective solutions the Review should look for evidence that they:

are likely to be acceptable to autistic people

are likely to be effective at improving autistic people's outcomes

would be feasible for employers or public services to deliver, including integrating with existing initiatives such as Access to Work and Disability Confident.

Review leader terms and Secretariat: The leader of the review will be an unpaid position, although DWP will be able to reimburse reasonable expenses.

DWP officials will provide a small secretariat, introducing the review leader to relevant officials and employer groups, setting up virtual and face to face meetings, building links to other relevant DWP initiatives and programmes, producing draft text, and such other duties as relevant to the functions of the Review.

Timing and reporting: The review will begin in April/May 2023 and will aim to have completed evidence gathering by the end of June 2023, with a draft report aimed for by the end of July and circulated to DWP officials for comments, and a final report issued to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by September 2023, recommending actions that could significantly increase the autism employment rate. The Review may also recommend areas where further evidence gathering or developmental work could be fruitful.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will then consider the report and consider what form the response would take.

Detailed activity

Encouraging neurodiverse workforces and removing barriers that disadvantage autistic people from securing and retaining work or progressing their careers.

Several barriers make it harder for autistic people to succeed in the workplace. Many of these are easy to address individually, but together they put autistic people at a serious disadvantage. Autistic teenagers often have more to deal with in school years and so miss out on chances to build work-related skills and experiences, making it harder for them to compete with other early-career candidates.

Recruitment processes often let employers down. Recycled job adverts, unstructured interviews and impromptu group tasks can tend towards the status quo and bias recruitment towards skillsets and personalities that bear little resemblance to the role.

Workplace environments, working cultures and stigmatising misconceptions can create barriers that autistic people are forced to overcome in their careers, meaning employers inadvertently miss out on the potential of their autistic staff.

The review will consider the following questions:

1. How can employers identify autistic staff already in their workforce and support them to stay and succeed?

2. What more could be done to prepare autistic people effectively for beginning or returning to a career?

3. What changes could help employers more accurately assess the aptitude and needs of autistic candidates?

4. What working practices or initiatives can reduce stigma and improve the productivity of autistic employees?

5. What will enable and encourage employers to make suitable changes for autistic candidates and employees?

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The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations

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A report of research and recommendations led by Sir Robert Buckland KC MP, supported by Autistica, with secretariat provided by the Department for Work and Pensions. Crown copyright 2024. You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

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This is a really useful site for anyone interested in anything related to historical education legislation and SEND education. The full texts of over 800 documents are on here including the Egerton Report, 1944 Education Act, the Warnock Report and the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act. There is also a summary of the document's main recommendations for those who do not want to read the whole thing.

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Week commencing
9 October 2023

Welcome to Education in the UK. I hope you'll find it useful.

The info page contains background information about me and about the site.

The links page lists other websites which may be of interest to readers of this site.

Comments or questions are always welcome - contact details are here.

Education in the UK was previously Education in England. The change of title (and URL) has been made to more accurately reflect the contents.

Derek Gillard

Contents

Education in the UK aims to provide students, teachers, lecturers and researchers - and anyone else who is interested - with information and original source material relating to the development of schools, colleges and universities in England and Wales, Scotland (which has its own education system) and Northern Ireland.

The site is divided into three main sections which can be accessed using the buttons at the top or bottom of every page. (Clicking on the Education in the UK logo always brings you back to this page.)

History

In Education in the UK: a history I describe the development of schools, colleges and universities in the United Kingdom from AD43 to 2018: half a million words containing references to 550 sources and links to the texts of almost 400 documents. There is a printer-friendly version of each chapter.

Documents

The full texts of more than 800 documents are here, including almost all the important reports on education in Great Britain since 1860 (Hadow, Plowden, Bullock, Warnock, Cockcroft, Swann and Elton etc); more than 300 Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments; plus Official Papers, education department, HMI and Ofsted publications; and a handful of books.

Articles

Here are all the articles and book reviews I have written since 1987. Among the articles are pieces on the history of primary education, pupil grouping policies, academies, school meals, faith schools, creationism, and religious education in Oxfordshire.

LGBT and Christian and coming up to Oxford this term?
If so, beware! Many of the city's churches are homophobic - some extremely so - as a report by Oxford Student Faith Action shows. Read more here, from where you can download the full report.

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history of education in the UK, education policy, philosophy of education

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National Federation of the Blind Online Archive

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National Federation of the Blind Online Archive

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https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/braille-monitor/archive

includes digital versions of all issues of the Braille Monitor published between 1957 and 2017.

US-based organisation with international reach - including multiple early branches in the UK.

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This site is great for tracing information about the history of legislation from 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act to the present day.  These include links to relevant acts and debates about them in the chamber It also has life stories from disabled members. Free leaflets and guides can be downloaded.

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https://disabledinnovation.wordpress.com/blog/

Shares primary sources that showcase ways that disabled people have innovated and adapted to accomodate themselves.

Created by PhD student in disability history - Beck Chamberlain Heslop.

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An online collection of objects used and created by disabled people, curated by disability historians Jaipreet Virdi and Coreen McGuire.

https://objectsofdisability.omeka.net/

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Technology is ubiquitous with our conceptions of disability.

Wheelchairs, hearing aids, glass eyes, prosthetic limbs, and canes are objects that we frequently identify as technological prostheses and assistance for disabilities. Other types of technologies color the interactions of a person with disability and their social environment: ramps, specialized telephones, audiobooks, and Braille signs.

What about the users of these technologies?

What motivates their decisions to select particular technologies to aid their interactions with the world? What roles do users play as shapers, collaborators, and manipulators of their technologies to better assert autonomy over their bodies?

Objects of Disability: Material and Design Histories is a collaborative project led by Dr. Jaipreet Virdi (University of Delaware) and Dr. Coreen McGuire (Durham University) combining research into the material history of accessibility and prosthetic technologies with a historical exploration of how disabled people played a role in the construction, design, and functionality of these technologies. After all, how users interacted with their objects of disability can divulge much about how these objects played a crucial role in identity construction.

This collection aims to deepen our understanding of the lived experiences of disability through material culture, to shape public education of health care and technology, and to provide a unique insight into disability history.
Header Images:

1. Dallas County Judge Quentin D. Corley with his patented prosthesis for driving, 1916. U.S. Library of Congress.

2. Mr. Swift, a blind librarian, c.1913. City of Toronto Archives.

3. Dorothy Brett with an electric Marconi hearing aid, 1922. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

4. Aulaqiaq, who is blind and learned to thread the needle and sew, c.1946. Library and Archives Canada.

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Header Images: Dallas County Judge Quentin D. Corley with his patented prosthesis for driving, 1916. U.S. Library of Congress. Mr. Swift, a blind librarian, c.1913. City of Toronto Archives. Dorothy Brett with an electric Marconi hearing aid, 1922. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

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This series usualises the discussion of disability in relation to archives - telling stories from disability history and modelling how to do that respectfully; sharing heritage projects working with or for disabled people; and also discussing access experiences in the sector.

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Accessibility - News, Blogs and Articles - Archives & Records Association

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Charity Registered in England and Wales Number 1041063 l Charity Registered in Scotland Number SC041671 l Registered Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales Number 2969472

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Public Information online: Government papers

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Public Information online: Government papers

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free access to full text UK government publications. These include: House of Commons Papers House of Lords Papers Command Papers

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in-depth coverage of sociology. Find high quality journal articles

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Scopus - thousands of high quality science, social science and arts journals some dating before 1970. Enables easy citation tracking.

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The Neurodiverse Museum has been set up to change the way museums and the cultural sector as a whole, approaches neurodiversity. In case you’re not familiar, neurodivergence includes autism, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia OCD, ODD dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and others.
We aim to shift the dialogue and provision from deficit, person first, exclusionary models, to presumed competence, identify first, inclusionary models with #ActuallyAustitic and neurodivergent voice at its heart. website contains resources on Good practice.

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What if we looked at museums and Neurodiversity differently?

You may have seen activity growing across the heritage sector (and in other areas of life) specifically for neurodivergent people - individuals whose state of being is different from the neurotypical experience (this encompasses autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia etc). Whilst this is to be applauded in starting to consider the needs of neurodivergent visitors, there is a concern that the resulting outputs are often not driven by neurodivergent people themselves and as a result, do not, on the whole, meet need.

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The Neurodiverse Museum - Neurodiverse Museum

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What if we looked at museums and Neurodiversity differently? You may have seen activity growing across the heritage sector (and in other areas of life) specifically for neurodivergent people - individuals whose state of being is different from the neurotypical experience (this encompasses autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia etc).

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Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ) is the journal of the Society for Disability Studies (SDS). It is a multidisciplinary and international journal of interest to social scientists, scholars in the humanities, disability rights advocates, creative writers, and others concerned with the issues of people with disabilities. It represents the full range of methods, epistemologies, perspectives, and content that the multidisciplinary field of disability studies embraces. (ISSN: 1041-5718; eISSN: 2159-8371).

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About Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ) is the journal of the Society for Disability Studies (SDS). It is a multidisciplinary and international journal of interest to social scientists, scholars i…

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Guide to disability archives, individual and papers held at the university of York

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Introduction

Records relating to living with disabilities, both physical and mental, start in the Middle Ages, can be found in a variety of different collections within the Borthwick Institute. This page lists just a few of the sorts of records which may contain information.

Private papers

Collections of family papers - such as letters and diaries - reveal information about changing attitudes to disability through time, including comments about relatives and their own disabilities as well as about charities they may support.

Church records

The Church has cared for, and legislated about, the disabled and disability since the Middle Ages. Medieval Bishops were anxious to provide suitable help for clergy with disabilities. Later, at parish level, the accounts kept by parish officials such as churchwardens demonstrate concern for those with physical disabilities: see the case of the York churchwarden's accounts. In the church courts an individual's perceived mental capacity could affect their legal right to make a will or to marry and cases about this appear in the Church Courts. For an example read the story of Margery Blakelocke.

Charity records

Records for charities to help those dealing with disabilities vary from large, national charities to small, local organisations, and include charity schools. At the Borthwick the records of the Wilberforce School for the Blind in York are a major, largely untapped source of information. The archives also contain information about smaller charities, for example the subscription book for an eighteenth-century charity to support the blind children of the clergy.

Medical records

Medical records are an obvious place to look for information about disabilities and attitudes to them. The majority of the medical records at the Borthwick are from psychiatric hospitals, whose patient records reveal numbers of people who suffered from physical rather than psychiatric problems. For an example read the case of Walter Freelove Brown.

Probate records

Wills and probate accounts may provide some information about the care of the testator's relatives with disabilities. Probate accounts may include details of payments owed to doctor and carers form the deceased's estate, for example the case of Ursula Simpson's daughter, Ellen, who was blind. Testators usually appointed guardians for children who received legacies from their wills and who were under 21. When these children - or other legatees - were believed to be permanently incapable of administering their own property because of a disability such guardianships could be made for life. Wills also include bequests and (in early wills) grants of alms for the sick and needy including those with disabilities.

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Records relating to living with disabilities, both physical and mental, start in the Middle Ages, can be found in a variety of different collections within the Borthwick Institute. This page lists just a few of the sorts of records which may contain information.

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established by Professor Colin Barnes to provide disabled people, students and scholars with an interest in this and related fields, access to the writings of those disability activists, writers and allies. includes full text documents. Most published before 2016.

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There is little doubt that Disability Studies should be rooted in the work of disabled people and their organisations. An understanding of history is vital if we are to engage with the present and influence the future. But all too often we have little or no knowledge of the concerns and insights of those who went before.

The aim of the Disability Archive UK was established by Professor Colin Barnes to provide disabled people, students and scholars with an interest in this and related fields, access to the writings of those disability activists, writers and allies whose work may no longer be easily accessible in the public domain. It is hoped that the documents available via the Archive will help to inform current and future debates on disability and related issues.

Browse the archive

By Author surname:

By year of publication:

Conditions of use

Files and articles may be freely downloaded and reproduced in other formats for those without access to a computer.

However, files may NOT be downloaded and reproduced in any format for commercial purposes without the express permission of the author or authors concerned. Furthermore, files may not be transferred to any website that charges a fee for user access. Finally, the entire Disability Archive UK must not be linked to other websites as a mirror file for ease of local use without prior consultation with the archive administrator.

By entering the Archive you undertake to abide by these conditions.

Reading documents in the Archive

All the documents in the Archive are in PDF format. Some documents are also available in alterative formats (Rich Text Format, Microsoft Word and plain text).

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There is little doubt that Disability Studies should be rooted in the work of disabled people and their organisations. An understanding of history is vital if we are to engage with the present and influence the future. But all too often we have little or no knowledge of the concerns and insights of those who went before.

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Disabled People’s Archive is run by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People with the support of Archives+ which is part of Manchester Central Library.
Great online posters images here https://disabledpeoplesarchive.com/in-the-archive/ephemera/

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We are pleased to show you some of the items in the Disabled People's Archive, and we are proud to be the guardians of such a wealth of historical material.

The oldest items we are aware of so far are some photographs from the 1920s, and as history is constantly being created, the most recent are placards and documents from the Peterloo Memorial Access Campaign in 2019.

Only a fraction of the archive has been fully catalogued so far. Although we have detailed lists for some uncatalogued boxes, we only have a rough idea of what is in others. We are looking forward to exciting finds in the future when we can continue cataloguing, and will be delighted to share the archive with you, other disabled people, allies, researchers, students and academics.

We estimate there are over a million individual items in the archive. Some will be on their own, for example an information booklet, or a letter from one organisation to another about a specific topic. Others will be grouped together, such as a set of postcards, planning documents for an event, or series of meeting minutes.

Some items could go in more than one category. For example, a campaign badge could be an artefact because it is a made object, or ephemera because it was made for a specific time or place so is transitory (not made to last).

On the pages listed below you can explore different kinds of items from the archive. Where possible, we have provided a number of formats. Where that isn't possible, we have tried to provide an alternative way of accessing the item.

Artefacts, ephemera and photographs have a little about the item, followed by a detailed image description. We have provided transcripts of the audio recordings featured. Some of the videos have closed captions or British Sign Language, others have a transcript. Documents are the most challenging in this respect. It is not always possible to modify an original document. Where we have a number of formats, we have provided them.
Artefacts
These are usually 3-D objects or 'things'. In archiving terms artefacts are objects which have been made or modified by humans. When thinking of history people tend to think of items such as flint tools, coins and bowls or vases. But banners, placards, clothing, badges and more are also artefacts. Here we have photographs of artefacts with a little background information and a detailed visual description for each.

The archive has a collection of music and poetry. We share some of these here. We have included transcripts of the lyrics and poems.
Documents
We are using a broad meaning of document here. We include anything from an information booklet, meeting notes, newsletter or magazine, to an in-depth report. Where we have been able to find them, there are large print, easier to read and text only versions. We hope in the future to have audio of some documents too.
Ephemera
This is an odd word, but basically means anything that is not made to last for a long time (transitory), or that has a use for a limited time. Examples are letters, flyers, posters or leaflets for an event, campaign or period of time. We could include campaign badges, t-shirts and banners here, but we have chosen to include those in artefacts. There is background information about each item and a detailed visual description.
Photographs
For the time being we are highlighting photographs from disabled people's campaigns. Alongside the photograph you will find a little background information and a detailed visual description. If you recognise someone in a photo who we have not named, please do let us know!

Video covers a wide variety of film types. From short clips of home-made film at rallies, to programmes made by individuals and organisations. Or it could mean animations and films created as training tools. Here we have just a few. Please also see the Disabled People's History page for some audio described, captioned and BSL interpreted short films about a few events in disabled people's history.

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In The Archive - Disabled People's Archive

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We are pleased to show you some of the items in the Disabled People's Archive, and we are proud to be the guardians of such a wealth of historical material.

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looks at the provision for mental healthcare in different periods of history. it includes an online museum visit plus digitised Minute Books (some require subscription)(https://archives.museumofthemind.org.uk/BCB.htm ), which date from 1557,

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Support
the Museum

Bethlem Museum of the Mind promotes understanding of mental illness, its treatment and recovery, through its displays, exhibitions, learning and outreach programmes. Our ambition is to keep access free of charge, and we rely on donations to make this possible.

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Bethlem Museum of the Mind promotes understanding of mental illness, its treatment and recovery, through its displays, exhibitions, learning and outreach programmes. Our ambition is to keep access free of charge, and we rely on donations to make this possible.

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The UK Disability History and Heritage Hub is a small group, created by PhD students with links to the heritage industry. Find out The UK Disability History and Heritage Hub is a small group, created by PhD students with links to the heritage industry. go to https://ukdishisthub.mystrikingly.com/

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Alf Morris and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970

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Alf Morris and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970

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Great online exhibition from LSE Archives. Marks the passing of a pioneering piece of social legislation called the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act

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London School of Economics and Political Science

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Introduction

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of a pioneering piece of social legislation called the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (CSDPA). Following its passing in 1970 it was hailed as a magna carta for people with disabilities, a key milestone in the development of rights and provision of services for people with various health conditions and a model for such legislation worldwide.

This exhibition tells the story of the passing of the Act largely through extracts from the papers of Alf Morris MP, who plotted its journey through Parliamentary processes and onto the statute book. Morris became the World's first Minister for the Disabled in 1974 and continued to fight for disability rights throughout his career, including the Disability Discrimination Act which also celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020. He was made Lord Morris of Manchester in 1997 and LSE Library is the custodian of his papers.

Content Warning
Please be aware that this exhibition features material which was created many years ago. Some of this material contains language and terminology which is outdated and which visitors may find upsetting.
Listen to the introduction:

The Luck of the Draw

These are two extracts from letters sent to Alf in November 1969 after Alf's name was drawn in first place in the annual Private Member's Bill ballot.

This stroke of luck gives the 20 MPs who are drawn the chance to propose and draft a piece of legislation. If the Bill gets through the debates and amendments in the House of Commons and then the Lords it finally becomes law. Watch the draw for the 2019/20 session.

In November 1969 Alf Morris won a coveted first place in the ballot. Good news travelled fast and he received numerous requests from individuals and organisations to draft legislation that would support their causes. Suggestions came from the Consumer Council, the League Against Blood Sports; the Registered Plumbers Association and the National Civil Liberties Council. He was also asked to support a bill for Voluntary Euthanasia.

Alf chose instead to focus attention on people with disabilities.

Listen to the section 'The Luck of the Draw':

The Act

The CSDPA was a significant advance in the provision of social services for the long-term sick and disabled.

The final CSDPA Act included clauses which:

Made it a duty for local authorities to actively collect information about how many people were covered by the Act within their jurisdictions and to inform them of the services they could get access to.

Made services available including at-home assistance; help with transportation to use services; access to recreational equipment and facilities; at-home meals and the provision of telephones to aide with communication.

Made authorities responsible for ensuring suitable housing was provided and public buildings were made accessible, including the provision of toilets.

Listen to the section 'The Act':

Allies and Assistance

Alf had support from a number of people in the drafting of the legislation and some of these have been kept as part of his papers.

These include a letter from fellow Labour MP Jack Ashley asking Alf to take account of a number of proposed clauses for his Bill, including the suggestion for a Disability Rights Board to be established - something which arguably only happened when the Disability Rights Commission was launched in 1999:

Jack was keenly receptive to the Act and worked closely with Alf on its creation. His name also appears as part of this Joint Ad Hoc Committee which met with the Central Council of the Disabled to discuss Alf's Bill in January 1970:

Ashley was himself prominent as the first fully deaf MP and worked throughout his career with campaigners and organisations to progress disability rights.

You can also see a fuller list of organisations which contributed to the Act here:

Listen to the section 'Allies and Assistance':

Contemporaries

There had been recent legislation proposed to support people with disabilities. In 1968 Conservative MP Jim Prior had drafted a Private Members Bill called the Disabled Persons' Pensions and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. The Bill made a number of recommendations such as the provision of a disability pension and proposals to make public buildings provide better access to people with disabilities. However, it didn't get enough votes to get past a second reading in the Commons and was shelved.

This is a page showing some of the provisions considered for the Bill:

A few months after the CSDPA was passed, The Education (Handicapped Children) Act also made it onto the statute book. Prior to the Act passing, children with learning difficulties were considered to be 'ineducable' and not entitled to education within the school system. The Act overturned this and, for the first time, gave Local Education Authorities responsibility for all children's education.

Listen to the section 'Contemporaries':

Causes and Campaigners

Often legislative change comes after causes and campaigns have drawn attention to an injustice. The CSDPA was no different.

One of the key groups from the 1960s calling for change was the Disablement Income Group (DIG). They were founded in 1965 by two pioneering disabled women: Megan Du Boison and Berit Moore who were angered at the lack of financial support available to people with disabilities. DIG was a 'pan-impairment' campaign i.e. they looked at issues affecting all people with disabilities and regardless of the specific health conditions or impairments that people had.

Here is an extract from an early leaflet produced by DIG and sent to Labour politician (and contemporary of Alf's) Peter Shore, which shows some of their early thinking:

There's also material from a smaller and less well-known organisation called the National Campaign for the Young Chronic Sick (NCYCS).

This is an extract from a letter sent to Alf from Marsh Dickson who was the President of the NCYCS.

This is the front cover of the 3rd newsletter produced by the NCYCS.

The NCYCS was founded to raise awareness and combat the practice of sending younger people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to live in geriatric wards. The campaign worked as Alf (and others) raised the issue during debates in Parliament and Section 17 of the CSDPA made provisions to prevent younger patients being given accommodation within such wards.

Listen to the section 'Causes and Campaigners':

An Income for All

One of the DIG's key proposals was the introduction of a National Disability Income, provided as a form of social security and paid to all people with disabilities based on need.

DIG were keen to work with and lobby politicians to enact legislative change. They also incorporated help from academics and experts who understood the social security system. One key figure was Peter Townsend.

This extract is from an early working paper produced by DIG which used research done by Peter. It's called Survey of the Welfare Problems of Correspondents of DIG:

Townsend was an academic who had come to prominence in the 1960s for his work investigating the poverty which was still impacting communities across the UK despite the formation of the welfare state. Townsend co-founded the Child Poverty Action Group (whose papers are also held at LSE Library) and later went on to help found the Disability Alliance. He was also closely connected to DIG and here is an extract from a memorandum he sent to Morris in 1973 continuing to argue for an income for people with disabilities 'by right'.

Listen to the section 'An Income for All':

Defend the 1970 Act!

The CSDPA was passed at the end of a decade which had been overseen largely by Harold Wilson's Labour government. Indeed it was one of the last pieces of Labour legislation to get Royal Assent, squeezing its way into law on the 29 May 1970. Three weeks later there was a new Conservative administration in power.

Many of the Act's provisions became the devolved responsibility of local authorities and there were considerable differences between how much authorities provided or were able to provide.

An article from 1971 in The Times called Disparities in the new deal for the disabled reported:

there appear to be great disparities in local responses to the obligations imposed by the Act.

Here's an extract from a draft of a speech about Manchester's Social Services Department, with a more positive appraisal of its effectiveness in implementing the reforms:

The twin elections in February and October 1974 saw the Labour Party narrowly returning to power with a slim parliamentary majority.

The mid to late 1970s saw a series of economic crises which plagued the government until the end of the decade and into the next. Alongside the economic uncertainty there were growing threats to public services and expenditure as the decade wore on and the government changed. This included many services and programmes designed for people with disabilities.

Here's part of a 1975 letter sent from Action Research for the Crippled Child to Alf about the potential for increasing cuts to expenditure:

This is an extract from a newspaper headline about anti-cuts demonstrations by people with disabilities:

This flyer is from a conference organised by OUTSET: Action on Disability in 1980 and warns about the threats to the CSDPA.

Listen to the section 'Defend the 1970 Act!':

Minister for the Disabled

Alf held his Parliamentary seat from 1964 to 1997 and even when Labour was out of power his Wythenshawe majority remained solid. In 1974 he was returned, again, to serve as MP but in a matter of months, and as a result of his years of work on behalf of people with disabilities, he was promoted to become the world's first Minister for the Disabled.

Here's an extract from an article in Community Care magazine about Alf's new role:

Despite the economic difficulties which beset the decade, campaigns and organisations continued to press the Government to provide support schemes and social security.

This is an extract from a newsletter from the Central Council of the Disabled, congratulating Alf on his promotion whilst also reminding him of the importance of building upon the work already done:

And here is a letter from the Disablement Income Group pressing Alf to continue to work for a National Disability Income:

The early to mid 1970s saw a number of new benefits being introduced. The following two newspaper extracts highlighted two of these benefits, namely the 1975 Mobility Allowance and the Non Contributory Invalidity Pension.

There was a degree of controversy over both however.

Listen to the section 'Minister for the Disabled':

Feminist Fightback

The non-contributory pension was one of the measures in the 1975 Social Security Act. It had been seen as a way of providing benefits to people with disabilities who had not worked, or were unable to work, and therefore could not contribute towards national insurance schemes.

Originally the payments were intended to cover men and single women but this was overturned while the Bill was still being debated and married women with disabilities were also included.

However, the Act stipulated that married women had to pass an additional 'housewife' test before they would receive any payment. This led to claims by feminists that married women with disabilities were treated like second class citizens.

Here are a couple of pieces of protest literature about the scheme:

Eventually the 1984 Severe Disablement Allowance replaced the pension and provided benefits to men and women equally.

Listen to the section 'Feminist Fightback:'

Getting Around

The Mobility Allowance was put in place to provide all people with disabilities with a cash payment to help them to pay for transportation in order to get around.

One of the results of the new scheme was that it replaced so-called 'invalid trikes' or Invacars (after the company that first produced them). These were specially designed vehicles which had been in production since the end of the Second World War. The cars were available, free of charge, via the NHS to people with certain disabilities to use as a form of transport.

Read a detailed and fascinating history of these three-wheeled cars.

By the mid 1970s, however, there were safety concerns about their use and the fact that people with different kinds of disability were essentially excluded from owning one meant that the Mobility Allowance was proposed as an alternative scheme.

Labour politician David Ennals, who was Secretary of State for Social Services, announced the ending of the scheme.

View a video of Ennals being protested for the decision on the BFI website.

And footage of the cars in action on the same site.

Here's a letter he wrote to people affected (and annoyed) by the changes:

Listen to the section 'Getting Around':

A Social Responsibility

This exhibition shows some of the changes which were brought about by governments, politicians and campaigners that impacted the lives of people with disabilities. As an MP and later Minister in government, Alf had much contact with groups leading such change. A considerable portion of an MP's work is also, however, representing their constituency and providing assistance to members of the public.

The final item in this exhibition is a letter which was sent to Alf just after the CSDPA had passed. For data protection reasons it has been partly redacted:

The letter is perhaps worth highlighting because it shows the positive difference that was made by the CSDPA and legislation like it, but it also highlights how a lack of proper representation by people with disabilities could lead to poor outcomes.

The social model of disability maintains that some of the most difficult barriers for people to overcome are caused by society. Disability should not therefore be understood as a medical issue which prevents individuals from joining society but rather how society prevents all people taking part within it. Changes advocated by Morris and other disability activists and allies continue to make the world more accessible for everyone.

Listen to the section 'A Social Responsibility':

Exhibition audio guide

We have created an audio guide for this exhibition where Indy takes us through the story and highlights some of the objects selected.

Listen to the audio guide:

Leave us a comment

We'd love to know what you think of this exhibition.

Please fill out this form and tell us.

Leave us a comment

Catch up on the exhibition events

Remembering the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
Watch the event recording
This event considered Alf Morris' involvement in this Act and his work on behalf of people with disabilities, with perspectives on the legacy of the Act, and how debates and public awareness around disability have changed in the years since it was passed.

Educating Equally: what is needed?
Watch the event recording
On the International Day for People with Disabilities, this event looked at what is needed for children and adults with disabilities to have access to equal education, especially with the challenges of providing learning during and in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Manchester Digifest

The Manchester Histories DigiFest 2020 in September marked and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, pioneered by the late Lord Alf Morris and 50 years of Disabled Peoples' Rights.

Three short films about Alf's life, created in collaboration with Brazen Productions, were also shown at the Digifest. You can watch the series of films on YouTube:

An interview with Tanni Grey-Thompson

Watch a short interview of Tanni Grey-Thompson conducted by Indy Bhullar as part of this exhibition.

An interview with Tanni Grey-Thompson by Indy Bhullar exploring Alf Morris and his contribution to disability legislation

Explore our collections

Learn more about our collections by exploring our curated collection highlights.

Contact us

For further information, contact the team marking your email for the attention of Indy Bhullar.

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London School of Economics and Political Science

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2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of a pioneering piece of social legislation called the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (CSDPA). Following its passing in 1970 it was hailed as a magna carta for people with disabilities, a key milestone in the development of rights and provision of services for people with various health conditions and a model for such legislation worldwide.

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Morris, Alfred M. P., and Arthur Butler. No Feet to Drag : Report on the Disabled. London: N.p., 1972. Print.

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a collective of scholars and self-advocates working on global and local histories of disability. On this website you will find information about different projects, people and events.

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Welcome to the website of the Rethinking Disability Collective. We intend to be a collective of scholars and self-advocates working on global and local histories of disability. On this website you will find information about different projects, people and events.

14 September 2022 by Marieke Dohrmann

To the visitor who enters my sister's school, it is immediately clear that things are done a little differently here. Across the main entrance, a flock of walkers, wheelchairs and other devices awaits their owners, not unlike bikes in front of other schools. You might be approached by a curious student who, using a communication [...]

Welzijn wordt onder andere bepaald door geloof en rituelen. Tijdens deze activiteit verkennen we welke rol religie kan spelen in onze beleving van ziekte en gezondheid. Gezondheid is zoveel meer dan een bezoek aan de dokter. Ons welzijn wordt ook bepaald door geloof en rituelen: het branden van een kaars, gebeden zeggen, een ziekenzalving, het [...]

Since March of 2020, government press conferences have been broadcast into our homes, at intervals ranging from about once every two weeks to every couple of months, when the situation was more stable. Often, when gathering around our TVs to hear what our government had in store for us, there would always be one measure [...]

14 September 2022 by Marieke Dohrmann

To the visitor who enters my sister's school, it is immediately clear that things are done a little differently here. Across the main entrance, a flock of walkers, wheelchairs and other devices awaits their owners, not unlike bikes in front of other schools. You might be approached by a curious student who, using a communication [...]

Since March of 2020, government press conferences have been broadcast into our homes, at intervals ranging from about once every two weeks to every couple of months, when the situation was more stable. Often, when gathering around our TVs to hear what our government had in store for us, there would always be one measure [...]

Health is a medical issue, right? The current covid-19 pandemic demonstrates that our wellbeing is not just the territory of doctors. "Health" does not only have to do with the absence of illness, but just as much with spiritual and public health. The short podcast series accompanying the research project 'We have never been secular' [...]

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Approximately 10%-15% of the world's population is estimated to be disabled and this number is expected to rise in the next decades. How did disability become a global concern and how can the concept be understood in a multicultural world? This European Research Council-funded project seeks to answer these questions by undertaking the first study [...]

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Get background on the campaign for disabled peoples rights in England.

Rhe lse also has a printed book on the history https://librarysearch.lse.ac.uk/permalink/44LSE_INST/1f110cn/alma99149225032402021

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Lived experience of disability. Accounts of  living in a hospital

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Lived experience of disability. Accounts of  living in a hospital

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La Fane, Pamela. It’s a Lovely Day, Outside : An Autobiography. London: Gollancz, 1981. Print.

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plus facts about the development of the social model of disability. from the Open university.

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Please note: using the language of the time reflects our desire for historical accuracy. We do not agree with the everyday use of labels which are now seen as deeply offensive.

Key Legislation

1845 Lunacy Act - this legislation, administered by Commissioners in Lunacy, was dominant for the early years of the Royal Albert. It made no clear distinction between learning disability and mental illness stating that 'Lunatic shall mean insane person or any person being idiot or lunatic or of unsound mind.'

1886 Idiots Act. For the first time legislation dealing with the educational needs of those with learning disability. It made a clear distinction between lunatics on one hand and 'idiots' and 'imbeciles' on the other.

1890 Lunacy Act which like its 1845 predecessor again muddied distinctions between learning disability and mental illness.

National Developments and Policies

1847 The Charity for the Asylum of Idiots - established in London.

1850s and 60s Along with Earlswood Asylum in Surrey, The Charity for the Asylum of Idiots gave impetus and support to the establishment of 4 regional voluntary large scale asylums for 'idiots' in England: the Northern Counties (i.e. The Royal Albert); Eastern Counties Idiot Asylum (Colchester); Western Counties Asylum (Starcross, near Exeter); and Midland Counties Asylum (Staffordshire).

National Developments and Policies

1902 Mary Dendy's Sandlebridge Colony opened.

1907 Formation of Eugenics Education Society.

1908 Report of Royal Commission on Care and Control of the Feeble-Minded.

Publications

1908 Tredgold 1st edition of Mental Deficiency which was the main reference text (with revisions) for the next 50 years. Used in nurse training during that period.

Labelling
'Mental defective' and 'mental deficiency' most common terms 1900 - c.1950.

Key Legislation

1913 Mental Deficiency Act. Use of terms 'idiot', 'imbecile', 'feeble-minded' and 'moral imbecile'. In particular this influential Act made it possible to institutionalise women with illegitimate children who were receiving poor relief.

1914 Elementary Education Act

Publications
1910 Mary Dendy - The Problem of the Feeble-Minded

Key Legislation

1927 Mental Deficiency (Amendment) Act: replaced the term 'moral defective' with 'moral imbecile'; crucially allowed for mental deficiency resulting from illness or accident - previously it had to have been there from birth.

National Developments and Policies

1920s-1940s major local authority colony (hospital) building.

1929 Wood report published.

Central Association of Mental Welfare (CAMW) major voluntary organisation active in field of 'mental deficiency'.

National Developments and Policies

Campaign for Voluntary Sterilisation.

Eugenics Movement at its height.

1931 South Ockendon colony admitted its first 'mental defectives'.

1931 the average number of patients in the 98 'County, County Borough and City Asylums' was 1,221 (Jones, 1972, p. 357).

1934 Brock Report recommends sterilisation.

Publications

1934: Alva and Gunnar Myrdal's Crisis of the Population.

1937 Cyril Burt's The Backward Child published.

1938 Lionel Penrose's Colchester Report (a clinical and genetic study of 1280 cases on Mental Defect).

Key Legislation

1940 First Camphill Community founded in Aberdeen.

1944 Education Act.

1944 Disabled Persons' Employment Act.

1948 National Health Service began.

National Developments and Policies

Eugenics discredited after World War II, but eugenicist agenda still in evidence in local and national policies.

1946 National Association of Parents of Backward Children founded (later Mencap); Local Mencap Societies established.

CAMW voluntary organisation still active.

1948 NHS took over hospital services.

1948 Mental Welfare Officers appointed to work outside hospitals.

Beveridge establishes framework for Welfare State.

Development of Occupation Centres.

Mental Health Subcommittees replaced Mental Deficiency Committees.

Labelling

'Ineducable' label, introduced by 1944 Education Act, used with regard to people with learning disabilities.

Key Legislation

1959 Mental Health Act (England and Wales; 1960 Scotland) repealed the Mental Deficiency Acts: espoused 'community care' but little funding; and said that patients should only be admitted on a voluntary basis unless seen as a danger to themselves or others (subsequently know as being 'sectioned').

National Developments and Policies

1951 National Council for Civil Liberty's 50,000 Outside the Law highlighted affront to civil liberties represented by detention of 'mental defectives'.

1953 Nearly half the National Health Service's hospital beds were for 'mental illness or mental defect'. Concerns about the level of spending were likely to be a factor in shifting government thinking towards Community Care policies.

1954-7 Royal Commission on the Law Relating to Mental Illness and Mental Deficiency (under Lord Percy); National Association of Parents of Backward Children gave evidence to Royal Commission.

1955 Botton Village Camphill Community founded.

1955 Guild of Teachers of Backward Children founded.

1958 NAPBC's 'Brookland's Experiment'.

'Little Stephen' logo adopted by NAPBC - representing pathos instead of fear.

Labelling

'Subnormal' 'and 'severely subnormal' terms used in 1959 Act.

'Backward' came into vogue as a descriptive term.

Publications

1956 Tizard and O'Connor's The Social Problem of Mental Deficiency.

National Developments and Policies

1961 Enoch Powell, Minister of Health, says mental hospitals to close in 15 years.

1962 Ministry of Health Report: A Hospital Plan for England and Wales - a 10-year report that included the development of hostels.

Hospital scandals - Ely, Farleigh, South Ockendon, Normansfield

Publications

1961 Erving Goffman's Asylums critiques institutions.

1964 Tizard's Community Services for the Mentally Handicapped argues for small residential units.

1967 Stanley Segal's No child is ineducable paved the way for education for all.

1969 earliest publications on normalisation by Bank-Mikkelson & Bengt Nirje (Sweden); Pauline Morris's Put Away put case against hospitals.

Key Legislation

1970 Education (Handicapped Children) Act made education universal.

1970 Local Authority Social Services Act: new Social Services Departments to assume responsibility for Local Authority health and welfare services.

1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

National Developments and Policies

Late 1960s to early 1980s major hostel building era.

1971 White Paper Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped advocated care in the community.

1974 NHS reorganisation.

1975 National Development Group founded to advise on policy and practice.

Publications

1971 Maureen Oswin's The Empty Hours showed the deprived lives led by children in long stay hospitals.

1972 Wolf Wolfensberger's The Principal of Normalisation in Human Services published in Toronto.

Key Legislation

1981 Education Act laid down that children should be educated in mainstream schools or classes wherever possible.

1988 Disabled Persons (services Consultations and Representation) Act.

National Developments and Policies

1980s-1990s Group Home era.

1981 Three residents of Calderstones Hospital (for people with learning difficulties) successfully campaign for the right to vote in General Elections.

1982 Three residents of Gogarburn Hospital Edinburgh also successfully campaign for the right to vote in General Elections.

1984 The first People First group founded in England.

1986 The first closure of a large long-stay institution for people with learning difficulties - Starcross, Exeter.

1989 Caring for People White Paper set out principles for shift to community care in NHS and Community Care Act.

1989 Sandlebridge Colony closed.

Publications

1980 Kings Fund An Ordinary Life advocated 'an ordinary life' i.e. normalisation.

1986 Open University's Mental Handicap: Patterns for Living course published.

Labelling

c.1980 'People with Mental Handicap' became the preferred term.

1985 'People with learning difficulties' adopted by self advocacy groups.

Key Legislation

1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act.

1995 Disability Discrimination Act.

National Developments and Policies

Ideal model became the mixed economy of care: state, voluntary organisations, private sector and family.

1994 South Ockendon, St. Lawrence's Hospitals closed.

1994 First 'England People First' Conference.

1996 Open University's Equal People published.

1996 Mencap's 50th anniversary.

Labelling

c1990 Department of Health official term: 'people with learning disabilities'.

Key Legislation

2001 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA): removed two of three caveats for mainstream education; made educational discrimination unlawful.

2005 Mental Capacity Act: People with learning disabiities have the right to make their own decisions if they have the capacity to do so.

National Developments and Policies

2001 White Paper Valuing People. Revised Code of Practice (DfES); emphasis on consultation with parents. Principles of rights, independence, choice and inclusion.

2007 UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities: UK a signatory to this Convention which commits states to uphold human rights for disabled people.

2007 Putting People First: Department of Health's commitment to making individual budgets a choice for anyone receiving social care.

2007 Mencap publishes Death by Indifference report exposing the fatal consequences of inequalities in NHS healthcare for peoplewith learning difficulties.

2008 Department of Health's report Healthcare for All: The Independent Inquiry into Access to Healthcare for People with Learning Disabilities. Emphasises need for urgent change to improve grossly inadequate NHS healthcare.

2009 Valuing People Now: Re-iterated Valuing People's principles and urging more rapid implementation.

2011 Winterbourne View Hospital scandal: BBC Panorama programme in May revealed widespread abuse by staff of people with learning disabilities.

2012 Mencap's Death by Indifference: 74 Deaths and counting highlights continuing critical inequalities in NHS health care for people with learning difficulties.

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school of health wellbeing and social care

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A time line of learning disability history

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Learning Disability Nursing - online exhibition

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Learning Disability Nursing - online exhibition

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A history of care or control? | Royal College of Nursing (rcn.org.uk)
This exhibition traces the fascinating origins and journey of learning disability nursing, from institutionalised care, through urgent changes in the twentieth century, to supporting people to live independent, fulfilling lives today.
It can be seen online or in person at the RCN Library & Heritage Centre 20 Cavendish Square, London, W1 0RN where it runs to spring 2023.  More details, including details of events (and recordings of past events) accompanying this exhibition are available Exhibitions and Events | Royal College of Nursing (rcn.org.uk)

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Learning Disability Nurses were not always nurses.

It was not until the Nurses Registration Act of 1919 that learning disability nursing was recognised as a distinct field of nursing practice. Before that, they were often known as attendants, based in 'mental deficiency' institutions or asylums. Training was provided by the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, a professional organisation for psychiatrists. This reflected the control that doctors had over these facilities and their residents.

At first, institutions aimed to teach skills to people with learning disabilities so they could be discharged back into their own communities. But over time they became places of containment. Fears about the health of the general population were sparked by the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century. People with learning disabilities came to be seen as a threat to a 'healthy' society.

Most institutions were closed communities with strict regimes. They were self-sufficient and some had their own farms, chapels, and craft workshops. Life was very regimented for both the nurses who worked in them and the patients who lived there. Reports criticising long-stay institutions began to be published from the late 1950s. They described impoverished and squalid living conditions and a lack of privacy for patients.

Many staff had custodial attitudes towards people in their care. Change was urgently needed.

Image: James Pullen, an inmate at the "Asylum for Idiots", Earlswood, Surrey, sitting next to a huge model ship made by him. Process print. Image credit: Wellcome Collection.

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A history of care or control? | Royal College of Nursing

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It was not until the Nurses Registration Act of 1919 that learning disability nursing was recognised as a distinct field of nursing practice. Before that, they were often known as attendants, based in 'mental deficiency' institutions or asylums. Training was provided by the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, a professional organisation for psychiatrists.

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National Archives Disability History research Guides

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National Archives Disability History research Guides

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Find out how to trace records in census, government documents and more.

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Disability history - The National Archives

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This is a brief guide to researching records of disability. For the purpose of this guide, disability is taken to include all types of sensory or physical impairment, including chronic health conditions and the long-term effects of war wounds. Deafness and blindness are also covered as these have hi…

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‘Disability and Industrial Society: A Comparative Cultural History of British Coalfields, 1780-1948
draws on the work of the research team: Professor Anne Borsay, Professor David Turner, Dr Kirsti Bohata, Dr Daniel Blackie, Dr Mike Mantin and Alexandra Jones (Swansea University); Includes. papers and statistics from government, poor law and society on how industrial injury related disability was experienced during this period.

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Statistical Compendium

This statistical compendium has been compiled as part of the Wellcome Trust Programme Award, 'Disability and Industrial Society: A Comparative Cultural History of British Coalfields, 1780-1948'. It draws on the work of the research team: Professor Anne Borsay, Professor David Turner, Dr Kirsti Bohata, Dr Daniel Blackie, Dr Mike Mantin and Alexandra Jones (Swansea University); Dr Steven Thompson and Dr Ben Curtis (Aberystwyth University); Dr Vicky Long (Glasgow Caledonian University) and Dr Victoria Brown (Northumbria University/Glasgow Caledonian University); and Professor Arthur McIvor and Dr Angela Turner (Strathclyde University).

The contents of the statistical compendium derive from a variety of sources utilised in the course of the research, including official Parliamentary papers, published works, annual reports, Poor Law records, trade union materials, employers' associations' documents, and other sources. They are intended as a snapshot of disability and as illustrative examples of the various ways in which impairment was experienced, understood and responded to in different contexts in the period concerned.
Browse by section:
1. General

2. Accidents

United Kingdom

North-East of England

Scotland

3. Occupational Disease

United Kingdom

North-East of England

Scotland

South Wales

4. Medicine

5. Welfare

Poor Law

Company paternalism

Permanent Provident Funds

Convalescent Homes

6. Workmen's Compensation

United Kingdom

Scotland

South Wales

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Statistical Compendium | Disability and Industrial Society

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This statistical compendium has been compiled as part of the Wellcome Trust Programme Award, 'Disability and Industrial Society: A Comparative Cultural History of British Coalfields, 1780-1948'.

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Disability history - The National Archives research guide

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Disability history - The National Archives research guide

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includes guides to tracing records in official and government records.
also The National Archives podcasts on disability and war in the 20th century, the Paralympics and mental health in the 19th century.
https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/damaged-disturbed-and-dismembered-disability-and-war-in-the-20th-century/

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Disability history - The National Archives

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This is a brief guide to researching records of disability. For the purpose of this guide, disability is taken to include all types of sensory or physical impairment, including chronic health conditions and the long-term effects of war wounds. Deafness and blindness are also covered as these have hi…

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Visible? A History of the Disability in NI

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Visible? A History of the Disability in NI

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timeline and oral histories compiled by Disability Action is the largest Northern Ireland wide pan-disability organisation working with disabled people.

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The Visible? Project started as a wish to record the oral history of disabled people who have been involved in the fight for disability and human rights in Northern Ireland. There are some great resources out there that look at the broader history of the disability rights movement, but none that are specific to Northern Ireland. Given our unique context here we wanted to explore what impact it had on the development of a rights based approach to disability.

The aim was to record the voices of those who have been involved so that we could hold onto them now but also so that in the future, we realise the considerable energy and time that has been given by these people so that we enjoy some of the rights we now have. We wanted to ask people in their own words to talk about how things have changed (if at all), how did they change and did all those changes make a real difference.

Harry Reid who curated the project talks in the video below of why the Visible? Project is important

The voices are from across different areas of Northern Ireland, some people younger than others and some people more involved than others. It doesn't include everyone we had on a list or people what were suggested to interview. We had a small budget to develop this resource and we know that there are many people 'missing'. We want to add to it over time and welcome contributions to the site.

The timelines that accompany the project are only a small reflection of key developments in the disability rights movement in Northern Ireland. It helps to give context to the video pieces and to understand how it fits within the political context in Northern Ireland.

Visible?
The title of the project - Visible? - came about as the project developed. The increased visability of disabled people in all aspects of society is seen as one of the key drivers in bringing about change. The question mark was added as the question is still there - just how visible are we in our society and are we at risk of becoming invisible once again as we experience a retrogression of our rights?

The hope is that people will use the stories and timelines to understand how change came about and learn from the stories of others. It's also an appeal to younger disabled people to become activists and be the next generation to bring about change for disabled people here. It's particularly important now as we see the decimation of hard fought for rights - whether it is social security, social care, education or work - the rights that the people in these video's fought for are being diminished every day.

In the words of Terry Pratchett:

"If you do not know where you come from, then you don't know where you are, and if you don't know where you are, then you don't know where you're going. And if you don't know where you're going, you're probably going wrong."

Thank you to Harry Reid who led on the project and did all the research and many of the interviews. Sigrid Rausing Trust for funding the project. Most importantly thank you to all the people that contributed to the video's and took part in the project.

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Visible? A History of the Disability in NI

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The Visible? Project started as a wish to record the oral history of disabled people who have been involved in the fight for disability and human rights in Northern Ireland. There are some great resources out there that look at the broader history of the disability rights movement, but none that are specific to Northern Ireland.

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Great site focusing on the built environment, space and place. includes audio files and  photographs describing the changing history and treatment of disabled persons from 1050 onwards

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A History of Disability: from 1050 to the Present Day | Historic England

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Disability in Time and Place reveals how disabled people’s lives are integral to the heritage all around us.

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Kinrade, Derek. Alf Morris : People’s Parliamentarian : Scenes from the Life of of Lord Morris of Manchester. England: National Information Forum, 2007. Print.

https://librarysearch.lse.ac.uk/permalink/44LSE_INST/1n1upld/alma99138184010302021

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International Bibliography of the social sciences find journal articles and book chapters published since the 1960s.

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In collaboration with Glasgow University and Sporting Heritage, Sam Brady PhD research student will be investigating the social, political and technical 'History of the Sports Wheelchair’

also a further blog post here Blog | National Paralympic Heritage Trust

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In collaboration with Glasgow University and Sporting Heritage, Sam Brady PhD research student will be investigating the social, political and technical 'History of the Sports Wheelchair’. For further information please contact Sam Brady on s.brady.1@research.gla.ac.uk.

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Modern Records Centre sources for Disability History

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Modern Records Centre sources for Disability History

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The Modern Records Centre holds nationally important archives relating to welfare, healthcare and employment. These include material relating to advocacy, treatment and attitudes towards disabilities during the 20th century. This guide links to key archives from trade unions, campaign groups, government instutions and individuals

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The Modern Records Centre holds nationally important archives relating to welfare, healthcare and employment. These include material relating to advocacy, treatment and attitudes towards disabilities during the 20th century. This guide is not a comprehensive list of all relevant sources (we have too many to be able to do that) but it does identify some of the main collections which include potentially relevant material.

More detailed information about our holdings can be found by searching our online catalogue.

Archives at the Modern Records Centre include historical terminology used to describe medical conditions or aspects of disability. This language reflects the context in which the material was created, and may be considered offensive today.

Campaign and pressure groups

The National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom was established in 1947 to promote the welfare of blind and partially sighted people, particularly as regards education, mobility and employment. The Federation is a campaigning organisation and not in competition with agencies providing services for blind and partially sighted people. The Federation is represented on many agencies serving the blind, including the World Blind Union, the European Blind Union and other official bodies.

The Modern Records Centre holds 68 boxes of archives relating to the NFB dating from 1894-1995 (most from the 1930s onwards). These include minutes, reports, correspondence, subject files, publications and some branch papers.

Additional material relating to the NFB is also contained in other archive collections, including those of Dr Fred Reid and William Wilson MP.

The National League of the Blind and Disabled was a small registered trade union of visually impaired and disabled people which was originally known as the National League of the Blind. It was formed in 1899, affiliated to the Trades Union Congress in 1902, and affiliated to the Labour Party in 1909. In 2000 it became a sector of the union Community.

The Modern Records Centre holds 19 boxes of archives relating to the NLBD dating from 1915-1994 (most from the 1930s onwards). These include subject files, publications and reports.

Additional material relating to the NLBD is also contained in other archive collections, including those of the Trades Union Congress.

The Disablement Income Group (DIG) was founded in 1965 to campaign for economic justice for the disabled and chronic sick.

The Modern Records Centre holds a collection of 8 boxes of archives relating to DIG dating from 1968-1975. These include minutes, correspondence, subject files and publications.

Additional material relating to DIG is also contained in other archive collections, including those of Dr Fred Reid, the National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom, the Trades Union Congress, Derek Coombs MP, William Wilson MP, and the British Association of Social Workers.

Individuals

Fred Reid was born in Glasgow in 1937. At the age of fourteen he went blind and finished his schooling at the Royal Blind School, Edinburgh (an experience described in his novel 'The Panopticon'). He studied history and law at Edinburgh University between 1958-1962, graduating with first class honours, and obtained a doctorate from Queen's College, Oxford, in 1967. Between 1966 and 1997 Dr Reid lectured in history at the University of Warwick. Prompted by his own experiences, "at a very early stage [he] resolved to speak up for the rights of blind people". Dr Reid served as President of the National Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted from 1972 to 1975 and as a trustee of the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) from 1974 to 1987 (and again from 1999 to 2006). In 1970 he helped to form the Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Teachers and Students and edited its Bulletin for several years. Dr Reid was also actively involved in organisations which campaigned on behalf of the rights of disabled people in general, serving on the executives of the Disablement Income Group (DIG) and the Disability Alliance.

The Modern Records Centre holds 20 boxes of archives relating to Dr Reid's work with organisations including the Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Teachers and Students, the Association of Disabled Professionals, the Department of Employment National Advisory Council on the Employment of the Disabled Blind Persons Committee, the Disability Alliance, the Disablement Income Group, the Open University, the National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the Warwickshire Association for the Blind. Most material dates from the 1970s.

James Alexander Clydesdale (1879-1962) became the first socialist lord mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1945 and was the National League for the Blind organiser for north-east England.

The Modern Records Centre holds copies of an address by Clydesdale to Newcastle conference on the deaf-blind, (Jan 1935), and obituaries.

Dame Eileen Younghusband

Dame Eileen Louise Younghusband was a welfare worker and educator who played an instrumental role in the development of social work as a profession in Britain.

Eileen Younghusband's archives include research material and publications relating to a range of issues connected with health and social work, including files on 'Living with handicap', 1958-1975, 'Handicap/Health', 1951-1974, and people described as 'mentally sub-normal' or 'mentally handicapped'.

Margaret Stacey, sociologist

Margaret (Meg) Stacey (1922-2004) was director of the Medical Sociology Research Centre at University College, Swansea from 1972 to 1974 and Professor of Sociology at Warwick University from 1974 to 1989; she became an Emeritus Professor in 1989. She was a lay member of the Welsh Hospital Board, from 1970 to 1974, and of the General Medical Council from 1976 to 1984.

Margaret Stacey's papers include a series of files on 'Warwick [University] Child Development Centre for assessing pre-school handicapped children', 1978-1982, including reports and correspondence relating to centres at Nuneaton and the University of Warwick.

Government institutions

In 1909 the Trade Board Act introduced legally enforceable minimum wages in Britain for the first time. Trade Boards were established to regulate wages in certain specific 'sweated' trades - industries with long working hours, poor working conditions and low pay. Permits could be issued by the Trade Boards for employers to pay "exempted" workers less than the minimum wage if they were regarded as having a physical or psychological disability which affected their work. Trade Board papers include circulars regarding applications for permits, which contain information about the ages, employers and types of work done by the exempted workers (usually unnamed), as well as the reason given for the application.

Several hundred items from Trade Board files in the Trades Union Congress archive have been digitised. Undigitised material about Trade Boards is included in the Trades Union Congress archive as well as in other collections at the Modern Records Centre.

Perivale Government Training Centre was opened in 1948, and an Industrial Rehabilitation Unit was added in 1959. George H. Cullen was manager at Perivale between 1948-1966, and had previously worked at Barking and Honicknowle (Plymouth) GTCs. Government Training Centres (GTCs) were established in 1925 with the intention of providing vocational training in a factory-style environment to unemployed workers in industrially depressed areas. After the Second World War they were also used to rehabilitate or retrain ex-soldiers and people with disabilities. In 1970 they were renamed 'Skillcentres'.

The Modern Records Centre holds 14 boxes of archives relating to the Perivale GTC, most dating from the 1940s-1980s. These include minutes, correspondence, circulars, training course syllabuses, photographs and publications.

Trade unions

Trades Union Congress

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a voluntary association of trade unions which was formed in Manchester in 1868. It forms the largest pressure group in the United Kingdom and works to improve the rights and conditions of working people.

The TUC's archives at the Modern Records Centre are extensive and include dozens of subject files relating to disability (particularly in relation to employment). Examples include series of files relating to rehabilitation, 1935-1960 and 1960-1970; series of files relating to "disease and disability", 1920-1960, and health, 1970-1990, including files on blindness, "the deaf and deafness", "cripples" and "spastics"; files relating to the British Council for Rehabilitation, 1945-1991; files relating to workshops for the blind, 1970-1990; and files relating to NHS mobility allowance, 1971-1980.

British Association of Social Workers

The British Association of Social Workers was formed in 1970 by the merger of seven predecessor organisations which represented specialist groups within the broader profession of social work (the Association of Child Care Officers, the Association of Family Case Workers, the Association of Psychiatric Social Workers, the Association of Social Workers, the Institute of Medical Social Workers, the Moral Welfare Workers' Association and the Society of Mental Welfare Officers). It caters for all social workers and is the principal professional association for social workers in the United Kingdom.

The BASW archive includes subject files relating to aspects of disability, including series of files relating to its 'Working Party on Guidelines for the Disabled', 1977-1982; the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; and relationships with a range of other organisations, including the British Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Disability Alliance, Disabled Living Foundation and Thalidomide Trust.

National Union of Teachers

The National Union of Elementary Teachers (NUET) was established in 1870 to represent all school teachers in England and Wales, and was renamed the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in April 1889. The Union is the largest body representing school teachers in England and Wales.

The NUT archive includes subject files, publications and other material relating to education and disability, including documents relating to children who were described as "handicapped", disabled, deaf or blind.

Medical Practitioners' Union

Founded as the Medico-Political Union in 1914, the union became the Medical Practitioners' Union in 1922. It amalgamated with the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs in 1970, but retains its own identity (now as part of Unite).

The MPU journal 'Medical World' includes articles on a range of subjects relating to medical practice from 1922-1970. Our catalogue contains information about the titles and authors of articles in the journal, including pieces which show changing attitudes to and treatment of certain disabilities during the 20th century.

UNISON

UNISON was formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of the National and Local Government Officers' Association, the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service Employees.

The UNISON archive includes administrative papers relating to the Eastern Region's Disabled Members' Group, 1995-2000, and video recordings of National Disabled Members' Conferences, 2001, 2005.

Employers and employers' organisations

British Employers' Confederation

The British Employers' Confederation (BEC) had its origins in the Employers' Advisory Council established in 1917 to consider the issue of industrial and labour relations. The FBI had originally been a member of the Council but concentrated on all issues apart from industrial relations and the two organisations split apart in 1919. The Advisory Council was renamed the National Confederation of Employers' Organisations (NCEO) in March 1919 and became the BEC in 1939. The BEC merged with the Federation of British Industries and the National Association of British Manufacturers in 1965 to form the Confederation of British Industry.

The BEC archives at the Modern Records Centre include subject files relating to disability and employment during the 1920s-1950s, including documents relating to the employment of disabled ex-servicemen after the First and Second World Wars, the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944, vocational training, 1949-1957, and blindness, 1948-1958.

Confederation of British Industry

The CBI was established in 1965 by the amalgamation of the Federation of British Industries (FBI), the British Employers' Confederation (BEC) and the National Association of British Manufacturers. This created a national representative body of employers equivalent to the Trades Union Congress, incorporating not only manufacturing, transport and construction but also commerce and the nationalised industries.

The CBI archives at the Modern Records Centre are extensive and include subject files and publications relating to disability and employment during the second half of the 20th century, including documents relating to the National Advisory Council on the Employment of the Disabled, 1958-1977, and the British Council for Rehabilitation's Working Party on Disabled School Leavers, 1958-1965.

Rubery Owen Holdings Ltd.

British engineering company founded in 1884 in Darlaston, West Midlands.

The archives of Rubery Owen include a series of correspondence files relating to artificial limbs and the Ministry of Health Standing Advisory Committee on the subject, dating from 1965-1971.

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disability; history; welfare; pressure groups; protest; blind; campaigns

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Sources for the history of disability and disability rights

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The Modern Records Centre holds nationally important archives relating to welfare, healthcare and employment. These include material relating to advocacy, treatment and attitudes towards disabilities during the 20th century. This guide is not a comprehensive list of all relevant sources (we have too many to be able to do that) but it does identify some of the main collections which include potentially relevant material.

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The Disability Arts Movement began in the late 1970s and continues today. It involved a group of disabled people and their allies who broke down barriers, 

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 National Disability Arts Collection and Archive 

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 National Disability Arts Collection and Archive 

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It is based at Buckinghamshire New university. Its website has information on the history of the movement and artists involved. It includes some online digital resources such as films and images.

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National Disability Arts Collection & Archive

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NDACA is a £1-million project that brings to life the heritage and rich history of the UK Disability Arts Movement. The Disability Arts Movement began in the late 1970s and continues today. It involved a group of disabled people and their allies who broke down barriers, helped change the law with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, and made great culture and art about those struggles.

The-ndaca.org is the only location to discover our online catalogue of 3,500 images. You can also engage with our learning resources, oral history films, learn about emerging disabled artists, biographies of those who contributed to the Disability Arts Movement, and much more.

Alongside the website, we will also be opening the uniquely accessible NDACA research facilities at Buckinghamshire New University in late 2018, which includes the NDACA Learning Wing and Repository of physical deposits.

NDACA is delivered by the disability-led arts organisation Shape Arts which provides opportunities and support for disabled artists and cultural organisations to build a more inclusive and representative cultural sector.

NDACA is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

We would like to thank the NDACA CIC, Bucks New University, Graeae, Disability Arts Online, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, DaDaFest, and SignDance Collective. We would also like to thank all the disabled people and allies who made the Disability Arts Movement possible.

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NDACA is a £1-million project that brings to life the heritage and rich history of the UK Disability Arts Movement. The Disability Arts Movement began in the late 1970s and continues today.

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The Disability History and Culture Collective is a new and still forming intersectional alliance of disability historians and advocates . USA based

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Disability History and Culture Collective: The Disability History and Culture Collective is a new and still forming intersectional alliance of disability historians and advocates working to establish an accessible public network and database of existing and new disability history resources, to find and preserve collections, to promote research, and to ultimately establish a central bricks and mortar museum with local affiliates as part of the Smithsonian.

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The Disablement Income Group was founded in 1965. to promote the economic and general welfare of disabled people To carry out research into the economic and social problems of disablement. selected issues are available

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ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global

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ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global

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Access full text PhD doctoral dissertations.

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Alexandra Morris - Egptology and Disability

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Alexandra Morris - Egptology and Disability

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Personal website of the scholar. See also Google Scholar citations. Guide to disability terminology and theory in studies of the ancient world

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Asterion aims to help neurodivergent people in Classics in three areas: support, resources and community.

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by Cara Gough An explosion echoed in the corridor outside my room. Then another. And another. On they went, and with each bang my panic became more overwhelming. I barricaded my door and tried to Read more...

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by Cara Gough An explosion echoed in the corridor outside my room. Then another. And another. On they went, and with each bang my panic became more overwhelming. I barricaded my door and tried to Read more...

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Includes research on The National Campaign for the Young Chronic Sick, 1965 to 1970. Plus other full text books on the history of the disabled peoples movement.

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CripAntiquity is an international advocacy organization for disabled and neurodivergent students, teachers, scholars, staff, artists, and writers in ancient studies. Our mission is to combat ableism by amplifying disabled and neurodivergent perspectives; creating resources that will empower individuals and transform institutions; and fostering community among our members.

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Premodern Disability is a portal for those who study disability in the medieval and early modern periods. created by academics but useful to all. includes links to websites and bibliographies

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Premodern Disability – Premodern Disability

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Premodern Disability is a resource aggregator for those who study disability in the medieval and early modern periods. While we are academics—teaching faculty and scholars in the humanities—we hope the content collected here will also appeal to students, arts practitioners, and those who are curious…

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Guides to finding disability in their theatre archives

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Curating for visibility exists to create strong career pathways for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse curators, currently seriously under-represented in museums.

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Delivered by Accentuate at Screen South

Curating for Change is being delivered by Screen South through the Accentuate Programme. Accentuate provides ground-breaking opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in the cultural sector and is one of Screen South's portfolio of programmes. This project is generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Working with museums of all sizes

Our partners are a large representative cross section of the range of museums - from large nationals like Imperial War Museums to smaller locals like North Hertfordshire Museum and city regionals such as Bristol Culture and Colchester and Ipswich Museums. We are also glad to have sector bodies on board ranging from the Museums Association to VocalEyes. Through Curating for Change, our museum partners are also on a learning curve - rethinking everything from how to word job advertisements, to the implications of hybrid working - which is changing the workplace for all, but can have particularly liberating implications for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse staff.

Re-examining Collections

Over the project, our eight Fellow and eight Trainees will re-examine and explore the museums' collections through a new lens, digging out the stories of disabled people across time through objects in their collections, that perhaps laid hidden, or have been overlooked due to lack of information. Fellows will use their unique and authentic lived experience of disability to produce outputs that range from blogs to exhibitions to bring those stories to a wider public. They will also get a grounding in multiple aspects of museum work, from interpretation to outreach to digital, according to their interests, and gain solid skills for a career in the sector.

Social media and mailing list

We are currently on Twitter at @Curating4Change, and Instagram at curatingforchange. You can also drop us a line at [email protected] to join our mailing list - let us know if you're interested in collections, events and exhibitions, or museum workforce development - or both.

Our partners range in size from large nationals to independents and local museums. Explore our work here.

The Thackray Museum of Medicine

The Thackray features imaginative and exciting galleries exploring stories from the history of healthcare to the advances that have shaped the way we look after ourselves, and each other.
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Imperial War Museums - IWM Duxford

IWM Duxford is Europe's largest air museum. Visitors can walk through the same hangars and buildings as those who served at RAF Duxford, and see aircraft taking to the skies from the airfield where Spitfires first flew.
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Hastings Museum and Art Gallery

Hastings Museum and Art Gallery holds a global collection, and works to inspire people and connect communities. This local authority museum cares for diverse collections, covering areas from Fine Art, Ceramics, Local History and Archives, to Natural History, Geology, Native American and World Collections.
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1 walking stick: glass; good condition; length 100 cms |This walking stick is made of hollow green spiral glass, and has a curved handle.

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"1 walking stick: wood; silver; good condition; length, 100 cms | This walking stick is made of light wood, and tapers from top to bottom. It is straight, and has a silver end in a Japanese design. A silver ferrule is missing from the top.

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This is a varnished rough wood stick with crook shaped top end and rubber ferrule at the bottom end. The crook is light coloured and the rest of the stick is brown. It was used by the donor's husband, Mr Percy Beckett and came from Wales.

Read more

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Curating for Change is being delivered by Screen South through the Accentuate Programme. Accentuate provides ground-breaking opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in the cultural sector and is one of Screen South's portfolio of programmes. This project is generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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includes oral history interviews with current Leonard Cheshire service users, staff and volunteers, recorded by Rewind volunteers . Also included are interviews recorded in the 1990s with people who worked or volunteered in the early days of the Cheshire Foundation, giving an insight into how the charity began.

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Rewind - seven decades of stories from Leonard Cheshire Disability

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Rewind gives people the chance to learn more about our history and disability in years gone by, through films, photographs and journals.

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Disability and Technology Primary Source Sets

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Disability and Technology Primary Source Sets

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Today a marvellous  resource available on the Medical heritage Library. Rachael Gillibrand, PhD, has curated resources relating to the history of disability and technology. these cover hearing sight and teeth

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Rachael Gillibrand, PhD, Jaipreet Virdi Fellow in Disability Studies, 2021
Lecturer of Medieval History and Heritage at Aberystwyth University in Wales

The Disability and Technology set explores materials in the Medical Heritage Library through three different types of technology: Ocular aids, Hearing aids, and Dental aids. The primary source set provides an overview of the types of technology in these different areas of disability, with accompanying images to illustrate the wide variety of materials in the historical record. The accompanying resource shelf contains over five-hundred individual sources that deal with some kind of disability technology dating from c. 1650 to c. 1950 in the Medical Heritage Library. I also created a short search guide to assist researchers in identifying material related to disability and technology in the hundreds of thousands of items in the Medical Heritage Library set on Internet Archive. If there are any additions you identify for the set in your own research, please email medical.heritage@gmail.com with the link and description of the item.

A note on terminology: Please be aware that materials in the set will historical or archaic language. In the case of disability history, this kind of language can often be uncomfortable to use. Words such as 'cripple', for example, have especially negative and harmful connotations today. However, this kind of language was frequently used in historical documents, and failing to recognize and search for it can lead to the exclusion of key sources.

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Disability and Technology Primary Source Set

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Rachael Gillibrand, PhD, Jaipreet Virdi Fellow in Disability Studies, 2021Lecturer of Medieval History and Heritage at Aberystwyth University in Wales The Disability and Technology set explores materials in the Medical Heritage Library through three different types of technology: Ocular aids, Hearing aids, and Dental aids.