Lived experiences of disabled engineers and technologists inform workplace recommendations
Barriers and enablers to inclusion and career progression are highlighted in a report from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
The IET’s Disability in Engineering and Technology Report follows on from a study into the lived experiences of neurodivergent engineers and technologists, published in 2023, but this time focuses solely on physical disabilities and long-term conditions.
Among the key findings are:
- Underrepresentation – Disabled people make up 24% of the working-age population in the UK, but only 14% of engineers and 6% of technologists.
- Employment gap – The employment rate for disabled people is 53%, compared to 82% for non-disabled people. Closing this gap could boost the UK economy by £17bln annually.
- Accountability – Workplace inclusion issues often arise from a lack of clear accountability and consistent implementation, rather than a lack of information.
- Human rights – Disabled people’s human rights often fall below profits in terms of priorities for engineering and technology organisations.
- Impact – Disabled engineers and technologists face a ‘disability tax’, the extra emotional and time burden required to navigate inaccessible workplace and societal systems.
The full findings of the report are available on the IET website.
