Unacceptable

Scotland 27,391 adults with learning disabilities were known to all Local Authorities in Scotland in 2010.  East Renfrewshire 628 individuals who have learning difficulties or who are on the autistic spectrum are known to East Renfrewshire Council.  Only 1.5% of these individuals are known to have paid jobs of 16 hrs.plus (categorised by the Department of Work and Pensions as full-time work). Real jobs We know that for many disabled people there continues to be barriers which deny them the opportunity to realise the full extent of their abilities, in work and in the community.

Give me a chance We are East Renfrewshire residents who have a learning disability and their parents who are working in partnership with volunteers from the Enable Local Area Co-ordination (LAC) Reference Group in East Renfrewshire, Values into Action Scotland (VIAS) and the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD) to improve the employment prospects for people with a learning disability. What is the business case? dependable employees Employers of disabled workers consistently report that, as a group, people with disabilities perform on par or better than their non-disabled peers on measures such as productivity, safety and attendance. increased workforce morale Many employers report that teamwork and morale improves when disabled workers become part of the staff.   stay on the job The costs of job turnover, such as lost productivity and expenses related to recruitment and training, are well known to most employers. People with disabilities are more likely to stay on the job. untapped resource of skills and talents People with disabilities have skills that businesses need, both technical job skills and transferable problem-solving skills developed in daily life. + What is a learning disability? People with learning disabilities have a significant, lifelong condition that started before adulthood, that affected their development and which means they need help to: understand information; learn skills; and cope independently