People with a disability must have the same opportunities as people without a disability and I have been working hard to raise awareness of the range of disabilities people can have from mental to physical and to demonstrate just how much they can bring to a team. I organised a Disability Confident Event to specifically address this issue and I brought together small and large local businesses with charities like Pluss and Wiltshire Mind to get businesses thinking how they can be more accessible and provide potential employees with an equal opportunity.
I was so moved to hear the positive experiences of several people with a disability who had used the fantastic government scheme, Disability Confident, and the leading disability employment specialist, Pluss, to get into work and join a welcoming and caring team. Everyone in the room was inspired by how strong these individuals had been and how well the employer had accommodated the person with a disability by simply being considerate and understanding. I am so pleased how engaged local businesses are to help and expand their organisation with a diverse and vibrant workforce which can be so vital to a happy and productive team and we are now seeing businesses right across Wiltshire sign up to Disability Confident.
I am committed to raising awareness of how we can all be more accommodating to people with a disability and to show businesses that government will help them and guide them to ensure everybody in this country, whether they have a condition or not, has the same employment opportunities. Spreading awareness is essential and the work that charities like Turning Point, the Down Syndrome Association and Mencap are doing across the country is fantastic, which makes it all the more important they are brought into contact with our local businesses at events like the one I ran. It is one of my goals to continue holding more Disability Confident Events in the future so we can make Wiltshire the most welcoming county in the country.