The union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has accepted recommendations submitted by the Disability Matters Working Group. The recommendations were part of a report delivered by Jean Taylor, NEC and working group member, on Wednesday 29th January. 

Disabilities emerged as a common theme among the motions passed at biennial conference last year. As a result, the NEC decided that a working group should be set up to examine motions related to disabilities and map out how best to implement them. 

The group was established in July of last year with the remit of examining motions 75–79, 120, 129, 131, and 132.  

From their examination the working group found the motions can be grouped around four main themes. The first of these themes was supporting workers with disabilities. This theme recognises the barriers disabled people face in career progression and the need to actively ensure their access to meaningful opportunities. 

The second theme was empowering line managers. For disabled people ignorance can be as dangerous as malice. This theme recognises the need to give managers support and training to enable them to ensure the disabled people who report to them can prosper in their workplace. 

The third theme, supporting members in disability care services, recognises the important work undertaken by our members in disability care services. Their efforts allow disabled people to live full and fulfilling lives. Advocating for the needs and well-being of those working in this sector is necessary to enable them to continue their support of disabled people. 

The last theme was campaigning for improved public care services. This theme recognises the need to push for better provision through enhanced public services. It also outlines the need to identify the care needs and responsibilities of members to inform what enhanced public services will look like in action. 

Recommendations 

To fulfil the four themes, the report puts forward a series of five recommendations. The first three recommendations lay out a road map for a union wide campaign on the needs of members who live and work with disabilities, who work in disability services, and those who have care responsibilities in their personal lives.  

The first step in this campaign will be to establish the needs of affected members. This will be achieved through a survey of members, developed by the Disability Matters Working Group in conjunction with relevant staff, with input from the Health and Welfare Division.  

The survey will inform the second step of the campaign, the drafting of a position paper. The position paper will, in turn, inform how the union wide campaign takes shape. 

The remaining two recommendations will be carried out at divisional level. Divisions will contact employers in their respective divisions to establish whether they are meeting the minimum statutory employment target for persons with disabilities to be employed in the public sector, which rose to 6% this year. 

Divisions will also establish whether a disability resource toolkit exists to support line managers in the management of staff who have a disability. This information will be used to establish the steps need to ensure a disability resource toolkit is made available to line managers. 

As National Secretary tasked with the implementation of conference decisions, Catherine Keogh is coordinating the Disability Matters Working Group. She said “I commend the Disability Matters Working Group for their hard work in incorporating these motions into an actionable plan. The number of motions reflects the strength of feeling of our members.” 

She continued “While supporting members who live and work with disabilities has long been Fórsa policy, motions like these give us firm goals and milestones to aim for.” 

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