Scope

🤔 Are your recruitment practices putting off neurodivergent applicants?   Research by Pearn Kandola LLP found that 48% of neurodivergent employees believed that recruitment processes were unfair to neurodivergent candidates 📊   So, let’s look at why recruitment processes might be unfair, and what might signal a less inclusive employer. The top responses were: ● no mention of neurodivergence ● not offering adjustments ● negative opinions and judgement about neurodivergence ● lack of flexibility ● no mention of diversity and inclusion   It’s estimated that 15-20% of people in the UK are neurodivergent. That’s a huge portion of your potential workforce. It doesn't make sense to ignore the barriers they might be facing.   Especially when a diverse workforce can bring massive benefits to businesses. Such as new perspectives, problem solving skills, and happier employees.   Read the full report 👇

Do you play the People's Postcode Lottery? If so, you’re helping to fund our helpline. We’re delighted to have received a special £300,000 award that will help us answer even more calls from disabled people. We’re so grateful to the People’s Postcode Lottery, and all of the players who are making this possible.

💬 “It breaks people’s barriers of understanding what we are capable of. Really, though, we shouldn’t be trying to prove this to people.” Opportunities like this shouldn’t need to be as groundbreaking as they currently are. It’s wild to think that not only will Rose be the first deaf Paralympics host, but also the first ever deaf host of live sport! We can’t wait to watch Rose absolutely smash it 🙌

🎤 Andy Stevenson is a seasoned professional. He’s worked in media for 2 decades, and reports on boxing, football, and a long list of other sports. So when he reported on the Olympic boxing in Paris, it was saddening to see so many people assume a disabled person wasn’t up to the task. Assumptions like this are plain ableism 🙅 Disabled people face these kind of negative attitudes at work all the time. It can hold people back, damage confidence, and even lead to people falling out of work completely. But we, and many boxing fans, were thrilled to see such brilliant reporting from an expert. And we hope to see more of Andy on our TV screens, along with even more positive disability representation 📺 📸 Andy Stevenson Image description: A photo of Andy Stevenson at the Olympics being recorded. A headline is written on top of the photo which reads: "Disabled reporter slams trolls who mocked him during Olympic boxing commentary"

Inflexible working arrangements... Drop them like they're hot 🔥 Image description: A photo of Snoop Dogg watching an event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He's raising his glasses above his eyes. His eyebrows are raised and eyes are wide in surprise and amazement. Text at the bottom reads: When your flexible working request is approved on day 1.

💻 You can't approach accessible content with a one-size-fits-all attitude. What works for one person and their needs could be the exact opposite for another.   Our content design team discusses how we approach this at Scope in a way that works for as many people as possible 👇

💬 “It is trying to tailor jobs to people, rather than shoehorning workers..." One size doesn’t fit all, and that applies to people and working styles, too. There's huge potential in this untapped talent pool 🌟

The consultation on the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) closed this week. But many people still think that PIP is an 'out of work' benefit for disabled people. And that just isn't true. Disabled people can work and claim PIP at the same time. It's designed to support disabled people with their extra costs. And some of these can come from employment, too. For example, a disabled person may need to spend more on commuting to work because public transport is inaccessible. We're hopeful that these changes will be halted, and we'll keep pushing to make sure they are. Until then, here's everything you need to know about what's happened so far, and what happens next 👇

This magnetic walking stick isn’t just a brilliant product. It’s a great example of learning from lived experience to create a solution to a real problem. Sean’s partner, Ora, was often dropping her walking stick or leaving it behind by accident. Using her expertise as a disabled person, and his expertise in product design, he got to work on a solution. He created a magnetic walking stick that comes with removable magnetic pads that attach to clothing. It means the stick can be secured without being held. He said his aim was to support people who found themselves "designed out" of the wider world. We’d love to see more collaboration like this. Creating solutions that really work for disabled people requires their input. And this stick is a testament to how powerful it can be. Video description: From BBC. An interview with Sean and his partner talking about the design process of creating his magnetic walking stick. And how he learned from the lived experience of others.

💬 “Asking for basic needs such as ramps, extra time to prepare or not working in certain conditions can be made to feel like you’re asking for the earth. I promise you’re not!” 👏 We couldn’t agree more, Ellie… 🗣 Louder for the employers at the back!