Everyone benefits when those with disabilities are included
3 min read
In the late 1980s, I was in my first job and the sole breadwinner in my household with a young child.
One day, we were all called into the staffroom to be told that everyone was getting a 50p-an-hour pay rise: “Except you, Anna.”
It hit me like a tonne of bricks: I was seen as less valuable because I was partially sighted. That painful episode crystallised my career drive. I can evidence the value of disabled people in the workplace – our skill, productivity and capability. But despite our achievements, inclusion still needs to be fought for.
The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act – and the 2010 Equality Act – were landmark achievements ending explicit discrimination in employment, education, transport and public life. Yet discrimination persists. Unless you have the cultural and resource capital to defend these rights, not much has changed. Inclusion needs to be intentional, structural and cultural.
As we mark the 30th anniversary of Parliament leading the charge on disability rights with the Disability Discrimination Act, how do we now turn those rights into business as usual? We know that when inclusive practices are standard, everyone benefits – including the public purse.
At the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), we work with thousands of blind and partially sighted people and we hear the same message repeatedly: inclusion depends on luck, where you live, who your employer is and how loudly you can shout.
The number of blind and partially sighted people in work has barely shifted in decades. Today, only one in four working-age people registered with sight loss is in paid work. A 2023 YouGov poll found that nearly a quarter of employers openly admitted they would not make legally required adjustments to hire a blind person. If we want to get Britain working again, we need to turn that figure on its head.
Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review called for urgent action to close the disability employment gap. In RNIB’s response, we urged government to invest in what works. Three system changes are essential: resource the Access to Work scheme properly; equip employers to meet their legal duties; and skill up work coaches to offer meaningful support.
Employment brings self-reliance, economic independence and less call on the welfare state – it’s practical economics.
Three-quarters of blind and partially sighted people still don’t receive health letters, prescriptions and treatment plans in accessible formats. It puts patient safety at risk and leads to missed appointments and poorer health outcomes, driving avoidable costs for the NHS (as mentioned in the Patient Safety Commissioner’s 2025 report, The Safety Gap).
Legislation laid the foundations for equality. But 30 years on, we need systems and culture change. Elevating lived experience in decision making brings better outcomes. At RNIB, people with sight loss are in leadership roles. It keeps us grounded, strategic and outward-looking. From the boardroom to the shop floor, organisations are stronger when disabled people help shape decisions affecting everyone’s lives. Inclusion must be part of organisational cultures and everyday leadership, not just a dry policy.
Critically, recognising the economic case for inclusive systems helps predict realistic investment and prevents higher cost down the road because of retrofitting or repeating work. Inclusion is collaborative – I value my sighted allies. We need to bring society together by designing systems that work better for everyone.
My 50p story still shocks people because it shows how quickly rights can be taken for granted. Equalities legislation was a milestone, not the finish line. What we need now is bold cross-government action that tackles misconceptions and turns rights into reality.
