2. The problem
Disabled people account for between 15 and 25%(1,2) of the UK’s population depending on which definition you are using.
But the profile of disabled employees in civil society is low. It is even lower for disabled leaders in the sector. There is a basic lack of data on the disabled civil society workforce; it is hard to see and, until now, there has been little incentive or drive in the sector to see it.
Something isn’t working, and as a result civil society is losing out on disabled talent.
In commissioning this work ACEVO has taken a much-need leadership position in acknowledging the invisibility of disability leadership in civil society. Throughout this process talking to both staff and board members it is clear that there is an organisational will to do something and to live up to the ambition set out in the organisation’s business plan.
Willingness is there but we don’t seem to be able to move forward, intentions need to be turned into actions.
ACEVO began collecting data around disability within its membership in 2018 through its member application and renewal process. As of March 2020 only 5.4% answered yes to the question ‘Are you a Disabled person?’ 72% said they were not and 22.2% preferred not to say. This is considerably less than the number that identified as having a disability in the latest Pay and Equalities Survey (2020)(3) which found 16% of respondents identified as having a disability or health condition. According to 2019 data published by ACEVO none of the organisation staff team (n=15) nor its Board of Trustees (n=11) identifies as disabled.
The world has changed dramatically since this work was commissioned in January 2020. Both the death of George Floyd and the subsequent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic have brought civil society to a crossroads. We have the opportunity to consider what we want and need the values and actions of the sector to be, moving forwards. Over the months that this research and report has been being compiled there has been much rhetoric in society about “building back better”; as you will see from what we have found in this research it is essential that building back better is disability inclusive.
The voluntary sector does not walk the talk of disability inclusion.
A recurring issue raised throughout the research interviews was the gap between words and actions; numerous interviewees spoke of disability inclusion within civil society as aspired to but rarely delivered.
Civil society is aspirational as a sector. We want to be as accessible as possible but there is disconnect with the reality and we think we’re special {exempt from work} because we are not-for-profit.
This report aims to provide a roadmap for ACEVO and civil society to begin to bridge this disconnect so that disabled leaders are seen and valued, and that the skills, experience and talents that disabled people bring to the workplace can be harnessed by civil society.
We need spaces where we can share knowledge and build the next generation pipelines into DPOs [Disabled people’s organisations] so that young leaders see them as attractive places to work.
This is not the end of the journey or job done, but rather the first toe in the water; this report, the accompanying literature review and its recommendations indicate that we are just at the tip of the iceberg of understanding the dynamics of disability leadership and civil society. Stigma and misunderstanding of disability and disabled people mean that some disabled staff will not yet feel safe to disclose their disability, or to share the discrimination and ableism they face in the workplace. Others are put in a position of being the voice for the entire disabled workforce because their impairments are visible, and they are expected by non-disabled leaders and colleagues to provide this role. As such, this report can only be a snapshot of disabled leaders’ experience in the sector.
We are not delivering for members if we are not accessible.
We welcome ACEVO’s openness to address some of the most pertinent and uncomfortable issues facing civil society. As we start planning for the future, we hope that this report will complement and speak to the recent Home Truths report and contribute to the momentum for change in the sector. We believe that ACEVO and its membership are key allies and advocates for moving this agenda forward in part because this is not just about an immediate solution but a long-term approach to shape and create the next generation of civil society leaders.
- https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability
- Question asked in the Pay and Equalities Survey is: ‘Do you consider yourself to have a disability, learning difference or health condition?’
