Bedford Borough Council and partners are raising awareness of the support and advice on offer to residents with a disability who want to get into work.
A new web page on the Bedford Borough Local Offer website has been created with information and advice for both people with a disability looking for work and for potential employers https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/employment
The new webpages are accompanied by a series of short videos, with employees and talking about their own experiences and challenges in being confident enough to apply for a job and what it means to them to be working, and insights from their employers.
https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/kb5/bedford/directory/site.page?id=8I6PblFNX6E
Alex said, “I was so worried that, with my disability, I wouldn’t be able to do something like this. Coming into work every day just makes me feel important.”
Tyler says, “Having a job, what I’ve found is that you can buy things… that you would like, with your own money… If you did have a disability, there is support out there. You can still find work”
Natalie said, “You can exceed, achieve and be who you are, because having a disability like autism and learning disability, or any disability should not get in the way of your life.”
Cllr James Valentine, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services said, “There are many people that want to work but for any number of reasons feel they can’t. I hope that these videos will help give others the confidence to make those first steps into employment. As one of the managers in the videos said, ‘there is a role for anyone’.
“We want to celebrate the diversity in workforces across the Borough, help to break down barriers and encourage people with a disability to feel confident enough to work and businesses to give people that opportunity.”