The Friendly Times

It’s January. The long evenings are still with us, but thoughts are already drifting towards summer. Holidays. City breaks. A bit of warmth and light. For many people, this is the moment when flights get booked, and plans begin to take shape. For disabled people, especially wheelchair users, that process comes with a different set of questions. Not just  where   to go, but   whether  flying will be manageable at all. Credit where it’s due. British Airways has done something genuinely good . Last March, they launched a dedicated Accessibility Team. Trained staff. Partnerships with disability charities. A freephone number answered by a human being. They also became the first airline to receive the National Autistic Society’s Autism Friendly Award. That matters. Being treated with respect at the booking stage makes a difference. Speaking to someone who understands your needs reduces anxiety before the journey has even begun. This is real progress. And yet. The BA Access...

  We keep saying we want more disabled people in work. So why are we making the support they rely on harder to use? The government is clear about its ambition: more disabled people in employment, fewer people stuck on benefits, and a labour market that makes better use of talent that is currently overlooked. It’s an aim many of us would support without hesitation. But ambition only matters if the systems underneath it actually deliver — particularly for employers who are expected to turn policy into practice. Access to Work sits at the heart of this. It is one of the few mechanisms the government directly controls that enables disabled people to take up work, stay in work and progress in their careers. For employers, it underwrites reasonable adjustments, reduces risk and makes inclusion practical rather than aspirational. Yet recent data and lived experience point in an uncomfortable direction. Fewer people are having Access to Work support approved than a year ago, waiting times ...