Changing people's attitudes

Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive of the Employers' Forum on Disability, and her executive assistant, Victoria Farley

According to Susan Scott-Parker, it is not disability that stands in the way of someone being able to do a job, but other people's attitudes. "An impairment is what might happen to them, but it is we who disable them," she says.

"There was a court reporter who had diabetes. It didn't interfere with her job as long as she took regular breaks to eat. But a new supervisor banned the breaks and the reporter lost her job. You could argue that for seven years she had not had a disability and that it was the organisation that then disabled her."

There was also an accountant who developed multiple sclerosis and, because she could not use her keyboard, gave up work. It was then discovered that she could type if the keyboard was lowered to her lap.

"No one had thought to make such a simple adjustment, but it meant she was off work for two years, while her employers lost her services for that time."

Susan founded the Employers' Forum on Disability 20 years ago: "I started it at my kitchen table, with my husband paying the phone bills," she recalls.

Fifteen years ago, the charity was formally launched by the Prince of Wales, and today there are 30 members of staff, of whom a quarter have some kind of disability, plus 20 associates, who all have a disability. It has some 400 member companies, employing between them 22 per cent of the UK's workforce; they include the BBC and Sainsbury.

Susan, a Canadian, has been passionate about integrating people since she worked with a pack of blind Brownies. She believes it is everyone's human right to work, but her approach is to engage, not impose.

"I think of us as a dating agency. We introduce people and walk away. It's important that disabled people and employers get to understand each other's universes. In shorthand, we are asking employers to take on people they have never met and who they think can't do the job anyway. They need to see past the stereotypes and labels and treat people as individuals."

Susan's executive assistant, Victoria Farley, was only 21 when she landed her job three years ago, and her youth could have been a handicap. "I was very lucky that Susan gave me the chance," she says.

Susan adds: "I took a gamble but I looked beyond her age and saw her determination. I trust her completely. She always gets me to the right airport, at the right time, with the right papers, and it is not a problem for her if she spends all day setting up my itinerary for next Wednesday and then five minutes later it all collapses."

Victoria and Susan are often in the office by 7.30am. "If Susan isn't at a working breakfast, we'll go through the day together and identify what papers she needs," says Victoria. "My phone goes constantly and my job is so busy that I have my own assistant. The workload is enormous but very interesting."

Victoria, who took a secretarial course at 16, joined as assistant to Susan's then executive assistant. When he left, she took over in an acting role before applying for the job. Initially, she was nervous: "But it has opened up my world and changed my life," she says. "It has given me confidence. I talk not only to ministers' PAs but to ministers, too."

Victoria also says that the job has made her far more aware of the problems of others. While 17 per cent of the UK population are born with a disability, including visual or hearing impairment and learning difficulties, the incidence of disability rises sharply with age: a third of people between 50 and 65 have a disability.

"We have an ageing workforce," says Susan. "I had hoped by now to have shut up shop and say job done, but with age discrimination laws coming into force this month, there is still a long way to go."

But isn't it illegal to discriminate against disabled people? "Yes it is, but employers are far more aware of the laws on gender and race discrimination. Many still don't think that disabled people are treated unfairly. They're inclined to think: 'I didn't treat you unfairly - God did.' "