Access to Work has been a vital scheme, supporting disabled people to access employment, remain in work and thrive in their careers through tailored workplace support. It has also helped employers build more inclusive workplaces and retain talented staff.
However, growing reports of delays, reduced support and increased uncertainty are creating significant challenges. When support is not provided at the right time, the impact can be far-reaching, affecting job retention, career progression, wellbeing and financial security.
The experiences highlighted here by our colleague Dr Danielle Farrel and BBC Scotland News demonstrates the need for a system that is responsive, reliable and adequately resourced. The goals of Access to Work remain widely supported and fundamentally important. The challenge is ensuring the scheme can consistently deliver on those objectives.
Disabled people bring valuable skills, expertise and perspectives to our workforce. We must ensure employment support systems promote participation and opportunity, rather than becoming barriers themselves.
Watch the feature from BBC Scotland News here.
