Employers’ lack of understanding limiting job opportunities for people with learning disabilities, study finds

Employers’ lack of understanding is limiting employment opportunities for job seekers with learning disabilities, a new study has found.

Five key themes holding employers back from hiring people with learning disabilities are: lack of knowledge leading to prejudice, lack of prioritization, lack of intention and knowledge about how to recruit, not knowing where to start, and a perceived cost barrier.

The findings in the “Research on Employer Behaviour Regarding People with Learning Disabilities” report are published by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde.

Right support

Chirsty McFadyen, an economist at the Institute who leads on its learning disability employment work, said, “The findings from our latest report confirm that employers want to hire people with learning disabilities, but they need more information and support to do so. We’ve heard first-hand that people with learning disabilities make great employees when given the right support. As the Fraser of Allander Institute has previously identified, there is evidence of what works when the right support is given to someone with a learning disability who is seeking employment, but replicating success at scale is a challenge.”

A learning disability is a lifelong condition that means people may need support to understand new information, learn new skills, and cope independently.

Of the 23,584 working-age adults with a learning disability known to local authorities across Scotland, only 4.1% were known to be employed, (SCLD, latest data from 2019)—considerably lower than the national rate of 74.7% (Annual Population Survey Jan-Dec 2023).

Tailored onboarding

The research, completed on behalf of the Fraser of Allander Institute by EDI consultancy Inclusive Recruiting, surveyed 28 companies, both large and small, and found that while all of them said they were willing to hire someone with a learning disability, HR and management staff struggled to define a learning disability and half had never discussed how to make this happen. This lack of understanding leads to prejudice, which affects the opportunities of people with learning disabilities in the labor market.

The study also shows that employers are often unaware of government support such as Access to Work, which employees with health conditions can use to tackle employment barriers, and a need for tailored onboarding of staff with learning disabilities.

Employers identified several options for improvement, including the creation of learning resources and building networks where employers could learn from each other. Critically, employers in the research reported a willingness to pay for such resources if they became available.