This Strategy set out the Department for Communities’ commitment to achieve better employment outcomes for disabled people, people with health conditions, and people who are neurodivergent.  In 2023/24 the employment rate for disabled people in Northern Ireland was 43.4% around half of the employment rate for people without disabilities (83.7%). The difference between these two rates is known as the disability employment gap.  Northern Ireland has the largest disability employment gap of any of the UK nations and it has changed little over the last decade.

Siobhán submitted a letter response to this consultation which stressed the need for the Strategy to be Executive wide, to have the necessary funding to achieve its aims and to provide genuine personalised support.  Siobhán also highlighted the gendered issues around disability and work including reference to Consortium research on Women and Barriers to Work which is very relevant to this consultation.

You can read the Consortium’s letter response to this consultation here