Investing in Disabled People Boosts Economy

Improving the skills of disabled people to world-class levels by 2020 would boost the economy by £35 billion over 30 years and help tackle child poverty, according to a new report, 'Disability, Skills and Work: Raising our ambitions', published by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) in association with the Disability Rights Commission.

The report argues that, as well as the benefits from raising the skills rate of disabled people, improving the employment rate of disabled people to the UK average through skills improvements would give a boost to the economy of some £13 billion, equivalent to six months' economic growth.

SMF make a number of recommendations to help achieve this goal, including a national commitment to reducing the relative skills gap between disabled people and the national average, which would not only result in increased productivity and employment, but also help tackle poverty, in particular child poverty.

For a copy of the report visit the Disability Rights Commission website: www.drc-gb.org