7/7 survivor calls on firms to do more to help the disabled into work
ASURVIVOR of the 7/7 London bombings has called on employers in Wales to create a level playing field for disabled people looking for work.
According to new figures, more than a fifth of employers in the UK are less likely to employ someone if they have a disability .
The statistics, published by the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity, revealed almost three in four line managers would be concerned a disabled person would struggle to do the job while six in 10 said the cost of workplace adjustments would be a barrier.
Daniel Biddle, who now lives in Abergavenny, set up his own business after he was unable to find employment due to his severe disability.
The 38-year-old lost both legs, an eye, and his spleen when Mohammad Sidique blew up a London tube train on which he was travelling on July 7, 2005.
The first of four bombs, which killed 56 people that day, flung Daniel through the doors and under the train.
He suffered three cardiac arrests as doctors battled to save him. He also had a collapsed lung, multiple internal injuries, MRSA, and centuries-old infections which had laid dormant underground.
The former construction project manager spent a year in hospital, including eight weeks in a coma and 12 weeks in intensive care, and underwent more than 60 operations.
Speaking about the figures regarding employment for disabled people, Daniel said: “I think the main issue is there is a lack of understanding about what being disabled is.
The current system focuses on whether the disabled person is work ready but employers need to match that. You need to have a focused targeted campaign for employers to be more disability aware in their policies towards recruitment and job offers.
“We spend a lot of time telling disabled people how to be work ready but we say nothing to employers, we have to take a more holistic approach.
“There’s a large population of disabled people who want to work but can’t because the opportunities aren’t there or they’re overlooked because they have a disability. We have to challenge the myths out there and show the active roles in society disabled people can play.”
Daniel started his own business called Nationwide Access Consultants Ltd, which aims to help organisations understand the Equality Act 2010 and become more accessible for disabled people.
Talking about his experiences in employment, he said: “I was lucky in the aftermath of the bombings. The company I worked for kept the job open for me but it wasn’t quite the right fit. Because I was quite high profile at the time getting a job was quite easy.
“In the early years people said stay with your employer because it’s difficult to get a job but I didn’t and as the notoriety of 7/7 diminished I found out what it was really like to be looking for employment while disabled. It was impossible to get a job.
“A lot of jobs require you to fill in an online application and they ask you whether you have any disabilities. By the time you’ve listed what your disabilities are they’re not going to look beyond that. It has no relevance to how well I can do my job.
“I am self employed because I want to work but nobody will give me a job. I am an intelligent and experienced man but I can’t get a job. My disability is more visual and that goes against me.
“My disability is something I have to live with every day of my life. It’s a roller coaster ride but even after all of that I’d still love to be employed.”
Leonard Cheshire’s Untapped Talent campaign is calling on the government and employers to recognise the huge potential and benefits that disabled people bring to the workplace.
Daniel added: “Disabled people want to better their lives but that aspiration is not met by employers, we need to match their hopes and dreams with what their employers can provide.
“We have a huge potential talent pool of qualified and experienced people who are overlooked because of their disability and in 2017 we should be more advanced than that.”