Employers 'should get to know workers with learning difficulties'
29-11-2006
The situation for employees with learning difficulties and the businesses that employ them would be greatly improved if employers took the time to get to know the worker and their skills, a mental health charity has claimed.
Co-director of the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (FPLD) Barbara McIntosh said that employers should be more supportive and willing to get to know workers with learning disabilities, and their skills, and be willing to offer them training opportunities.
Her comments came after another charity, United Response, said that only ten per cent of people with learning difficulties in the UK can find any kind of work.
Ms McIntosh said that her organisation had seen lots of examples of successful employment for those with learning disabilities and said that one option was 'job carving', where a role is created around a person according to their skills.
She said: "I think it's just developing that concept of looking at what a person is good at and making sure they get a chance to flourish in the workplace by doing those tasks."
She added that a lot of people with learning disabilities had niche skills, especially those with autism, who in particular could have interesting skills which could be put to good use in the workplace.
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