Event Recap: Championing Disability Employment Reform with Professor Kim Hoque

Event Recap: Championing Disability Employment Reform with Professor Kim Hoque

This week’s spotlight session brought together practitioners, policymakers, and advocates for a powerful exploration of the future of disability employment policy in the UK. Led by Professor Kim Hoque, Vice Dean (People and Culture) at King’s Business School and one of the country’s most influential voices on disability inclusion, the event unpacked the urgent reforms needed to create a fairer labour market for disabled people.

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🌐 A Timely Conversation on Policy, Practice, and Accountability

Professor Hoque’s presentation, Government Disability Employment Policy: Current Directions and the Disability Employment Charter, offered a clear-eyed look at the shifting policy landscape. With the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill proposing mandatory disability employment and pay gap reporting, and Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review gaining traction, the session arrived at a pivotal moment.

Participants were guided through the implications of these developments, what they mean for employers, for disabled workers, and for the systems that are meant to support them.

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🔍 Key Themes and Insights

1. The Case for Mandatory Reporting

Professor Hoque highlighted how mandatory disability employment and pay gap reporting could transform transparency and accountability across sectors. By bringing disability data in line with gender and ethnicity reporting, organisations would be better positioned to identify inequalities and take meaningful action.

2. Reforming Disability Confident and Access to Work

The Disability Employment Charter, co-founded by Professor Hoque, proposes substantial reforms to two cornerstone government schemes:

• Disability Confident: Strengthening the scheme to ensure it drives real change rather than symbolic compliance.
• Access to Work: Introducing enforceable timeframes to reduce delays that currently hinder disabled people’s ability to start or sustain employment.

3. Empowering Trade Union Equality Reps

The Charter also calls for statutory rights for trade union equality representatives, recognising their vital role in supporting disabled workers and embedding inclusive practice at organisational level.

4. Procurement as a Lever for Change

Public sector procurement, Professor Hoque argued, is an underused but powerful tool. Embedding disability inclusion criteria into procurement processes could incentivise employers to prioritise accessibility and fair employment practices.

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👤 About the Speaker

Professor Kim Hoque brings unparalleled expertise to this conversation. As a leading academic in equality, diversity, and inclusion, he has:

• Co-founded the Disability@Work research group
• Played a central role in the Centre for Social Justice’s Disability Commission
• Co-led the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability (2017–2023)
• Co-founded the Disability Employment Charter, now backed by major charities and trade unions
• Served on the DWP Neurodiversity Expert Review Group

His work continues to shape national policy and influence the direction of disability employment reform.

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💡 Why This Session Mattered

Attendees left with:

• Insider insights into upcoming legislative and policy changes
• Practical strategies to strengthen disability inclusion within their organisations
• A deeper understanding of the systemic barriers disabled people face—and how to dismantle them
• A sense of momentum, joining a growing movement advocating for meaningful, evidence-based reform

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🎥 Session Recording & CPD

All registrants will receive a copy of the session recording. Recordings can also be purchased by non-registered members by contacting the VRA admin team.

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https://www.disabilityatwork.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Disability-prevalence-and-organisation-performance-brief.pdf

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