DLS is delighted to have formed a relationship with Evenbreak, a platform for disabled job-seekers. Below we set out a few words from Jane Hatton, the founder of Evenbreak
“It’s difficult for anyone to get a job. And if you are disabled, it’s doubly hard (disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people). Depressing, isn’t it?
But the good news is that there are a number of employers out there who are enlightened enough to understand that there are actually business advantages to be gained by employing disabled people like us. On average, we are just as productive as non-disabled people, AND have less time off sick AND have fewer workplace accidents AND stay in our jobs longer AND bring additional skills we have developed to live in a world not designed for us, like tenacity, innovation, determination and creativity AND we have inside intelligence on the “disability market” (13 million of us spend up to £249 billion in the UK alone). Premium candidates, I’d say!
As an employer, I have experienced these advantages first hand having employed a number of disabled people over the years. And being disabled myself, I know how important staying in work is – not just for the income, but also to have a sense of purpose, value, dignity and independence.
However, the employers who do understand why they should employ us tell me they find it difficult to attract disabled applicants. And disabled job seekers tell me they find it difficult to know which employers are prepared to look beyond their disabilities at the skills they have to offer. So I founded Evenbreak (www.evenbreak.co.uk), a specialist job board to help these two groups of people find each other.
Evenbreak is a not-for-profit social enterprise – the only not-for-profit specialist job board in the UK that is run by and for disabled people – and it’s completely free to register and search for jobs. You can be confident that employers who pay to advertise their vacancies on a site that is only going to attract disabled applicants are likely to be far more inclusive and receptive to us. Employers as diverse as Channel 4, John Lewis, Lloyds Banking Group, Wellcome, Land Registry and many, many more.
We also offer some online resources to help you prepare for your job search, covering things like confidence building, identifying strengths, searching for jobs, writing CVs, attending interviews and discussing disabilities with employers. (http://www.evenbreak.co.uk/resources-for-candidates/)
We can’t guarantee you’ll find your dream job on Evenbreak, but it’s worth a try! Have a look and see what you think.”
Jane Hatton, Director, Evenbreak.
Jane has a degenerative spinal condition; chronic pain affects her ability to sit and walk, and spinal cord damage affects her left hand. She runs Evenbreak lying down with a lap top suspended above her.