unionlearn - Unions and employers welcome better deal for disabled workers



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	Union learning reps\|Negotiating learning agreements\|Supporting Learners (IAG)\|Working with providers\|Skills for Life\|Union Learning Fund\|Learning centres\|Learning and organising\|Learning & skills initiatives\|Information Communication Technology\|Equality and diversity\|Women Black and Asian workers Disabled workers Low paid workers Add a comment to General Chat discussion. See all discussion topics. ULR Conference Subject Search term Advanced search We can alert you by email about anything new in your chosen subjects. Register your interests now.	date: 19 March 2007 embargo: none Unions and employers welcome better deal for disabled workers Trade unions fighting for a better deal for disabled workers are celebrating the appointment of more than 500 Disability Champions who help disabled workers to negotiate with employers to fulfil their needs, and work to raise awareness of issues at work. Unionlearn, the TUC's education and skills organisation, announced today that there are now 506 Disability Champions. They come from 24 unions, 43 per cent are disabled, 39 per cent are aged 50 or over, 40 per cent are women, and 14 per cent are from ethnic minorities. Some of the many companies and organisations that have welcomed the programme are BT, Royal Bank of Scotland, Waitrose, and Humberside Probation Service. The idea for Disability Champions emerged from a joint project between manufacturing and professional union, Amicus, and TUC Education, which began in 2003. Unionlearn has gained support for the project and established a thirty-hour course to train trade union members in disability issues. Some of the issues covered on the course include: conducting access audits of buildings, documents, and policies; influencing recruitment procedures; and negotiating reasonable adjustments. The Disability Champions project is overseen by Dave Parr, one of the Trade Union Studies team at East Riding College, who has developed a website www.disabilitychampions.com to supplement the work. Liz Rees, unionlearn* Trade Union Education Manager said: 'It's a mark of the trade unions' commitment to equality in the workplace that the Disability Champions' course, run by unionlearn with TUC Education, has attracted such a variety of people who are actively raising awareness of disability issues. This is a fantastic milestone, although there is still a long way to go until there is equality of opportunity for all workers, but in the meanwhile thousands of individuals are reaping the benefits from the dedicated work of the Disability Champions.' NOTES TO EDITORS: All unionlearn press releases can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk Media enquiries: Wanda Wyporska T: 020 7079 6950 M: 07795 844728 E: wwyporska@tuc.org.uk Mike Power T: 020 7079 6942 M: 07900 914322 E: mpower@tuc.org.uk For more information see: www.disabilitychampions.com Press release (400 words) issued 19 Mar 2007 top of page Email this page to a colleague LGBT equality education only way to stop homophobic bullying, says TUC 3 July 2008 Leicester's Alice Hawkins and Votes for Women 22 May 2008 Midlands TUC International Women's Day Conference 19 February 2008
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