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Thursday 3 December is International Day of Disabled People. To coincide with it, the TUC is today (Thursday) publishing a good practice guide for workplace representatives to help them support trade union members with invisible impairments.

The TUC guide You Don’t Look Disabled provides information on: the role that trade unions can play; the equality laws that support disabled workers; and case studies that show how problems can be addressed to stop or prevent discrimination.

3 December 2015

Thursday 3 December is International Day of Disabled People. To coincide with it, the TUC is today (Thursday) publishing a good practice guide for workplace representatives to help them support trade union members with invisible impairments.

Most disabled people do not have visible signs of impairment, such as the use of a mobility aid. And if a person’s impairment is not visibly obvious, their right to reasonable adjustments to aid their access to work may not be as readily recognised. In some cases, a person’s impairment may even be treated with disbelief by colleagues and managers.

The TUC guide You Don’t Look Disabled provides information on: the role that trade unions can play; the equality laws that support disabled workers; and case studies that show how problems can be addressed to stop or prevent discrimination.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Disabled people have a much lower employment rate than non-disabled people, and not only face barriers getting a job but can encounter problems staying in work. There is still a long way to go before genuine equality is achieved for access to work, and treatment at work. To make progress, it is important to address popular stereotypes of disability that rarely fit the reality of individual lives.

“We hope that the TUC guidebook will have practical value in every workplace. Some of the prejudice that needs to be addressed results from lack of understanding, so a great deal can be achieved through workplace education. But for problems of deeper rooted, and institutional discrimination, the guidebook also covers the legal framework for pursuing just outcomes for disabled people. By joining a trade union, disabled people can get help representing their interests at work.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @The_TUC and follow the TUC press team @tucnews

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