Our new analysis highlights that structural barriers are the main drivers of this gap. The paper focuses on the actions the Government and employers must take to address these barriers. 

Halving the Disability Employment Gap means changing more than employment support. It requires removing the barriers built into workplaces, systems and society. Successive governments have spent decades trying to reduce this gap. But progress has been far too slow and action has not been ambitious enough. This has to change. 

Sanctions and benefit cuts will not fix a labour market where the odds are stacked against disabled people at every stage.  

We urgently need a change of approach.  

We need work without barriers. 

Further papers will be published across 2026 and made available on this page.

To remove these barriers and close the Disability Employment Gap, Scope is calling on the Government to: 

Establish a national disability employment strategy with clear outcomes and an ambition to halve the Disability Employment Gap. The strategy should be overseen by multiple Secretaries of State. Incorporating employment, business, education, health, benefits and national and local investment policy. All other initiatives should flow through this strategy. As an aligned strategy will have the most significant impact. 

Reform Access to Work and ensure access to reasonable adjustments including flexible working. This includes funding Access to Work to ensure demand is met. That assessments are made in a timely fashion. And there is measurement of employment outcomes and retention.

Overhaul Disability Confident and expand employers' access to information about how to support disabled workers. Provide incentives and funding for the hiring and retaining of disabled employees. And link accreditation to employment outcomes. 

Introduce Disability Pay Gap reporting and enforce employer accountability and transparency of their employment of disabled people. 

Scope’s new polling survey and analysis show that:  

• Around a million disabled people in the UK want to work, but we are being denied the opportunity.  
• Halving the Disability Employment Gap could increase the economy by £17 billion each year. 
• Latest official figures put the disability employment gap at 29.4%. With more than 4 in 5 (82.4%) non-disabled people in employment compared to just over half (53.0%) of disabled people.     

Scope’s new polling exploring Employment and Barriers has revealed the issues which structural barriers present for the employment of disabled people: 

A survey of 1,000 disabled adults, carried out by Opinium on behalf of Scope and weighted to be nationally representative, found in the last 10 years: 

• 28% of disabled workers or jobseekers have had adjustment requests rejected or agreed adjustments not put in place – rising to 45% for 18 to 34-year-olds 
• Over two fifths (43%) of disabled adults who have looked for a job in the last 10 years feel their condition or impairment may have played a role in them being turned down for a job or not progressing through the recruitment process. 

Among disabled adults who have worked in the past 10 years, many report experiencing negative impacts because their employer did not adequately support their needs: 

• More than 1 in 3 (35%) disabled adults say their mental health worsened  
• More than a quarter (28%) say their physical health worsened  
• 1 in 4 (26%) couldn’t perform their best at work  
• Almost 1 in 5 (18%) had to leave a job  
• Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) had to reduce working hours 
• 1 in 7 (14%) had to pay for support or equipment themselves. 

A survey with 2,000 adults, also carried out by Opinium and weighted to be nationally representative, found: 

• Almost two thirds (63%) of the public think that disabled people face more barriers when finding and keeping a job compared to non-disabled people 
• 38% of the UK population think employers have the biggest responsibility in making it easier for disabled people to get into work 
• 32% think the main responsibility lies with the government  
• Only 3% believe the main responsibility lies with disabled people themselves.  

Evidence was also collated from Scope’s groundbreaking longitudinal study, Our Lives, Our Journey, which follows the lives of more than 80 disabled people and their families from 2016 to 2026. In addition to insight from Scope’s Work Without Barriers campaign respondents in the summer of 2026. Analysis of the lived experiences of these people told us that: 

• Experiencing barriers at every stage compounds the challenges

Disabled people describe repeated setbacks across education, recruitment and work, where each negative experience makes the next step feel harder.  

• Attitudes frequently determine whether support works 

Supportive managers and staff can remove barriers and help people stay well at work. However, disabled people are often viewed as a "risk" or with disbelief or stigma. This can lead to rejection, bullying or exclusion.  

• Adjustments and flexibility are essential, but often insecure 

Flexible hours, remote working, accessible equipment and changes to workload and patterns can make employment possible. But when support is delayed, withdrawn or dependent on sole individuals, disabled people can be forced to reduce hours, resign or avoid future disclosure. 

• Families and carers experience the same structural pressures 

Flexibility can help caregivers remain in work. However, a lack of alternative flexible roles can lock people into their Job. Limiting new opportunities for better pay, progression and security.  

• The emotional, health, and financial impacts are significant 

Disabled people and families describe anxiety, loss of confidence, worsening health, extra costs and reduced income when systems fail to remove barriers. 

• Lasting impact on disabled employees and job seekers. 

These impacts are not separate from employment outcomes; they directly affect the resilience and ability of disabled people to apply for work, stay in work or return to work after multiple negative experiences. 

About this report 

Structural barriers are created by systems in the job market which stop disabled people from working in the ways they need to. These barriers are not caused by disabled people themselves but by workplaces, support systems and wider policy choices. 

• Practical barriers relate to adjustments, workplace accessibility, flexible working and support such as Access to Work. 
• Procedural barriers are caused by employer processes, delays, inaccessible systems and unclear responsibilities. 
• Attitudinal barriers are caused by discrimination, assumptions and negative attitudes towards disabled people. 

This first report explores the practical barriers to employment for disabled people. And the role workplace adaptations can play in overcoming them. Reasonable adjustments, flexible working and schemes such as Access to Work can help remove these barriers. Which prevent disabled people from entering, staying in and progressing at work. 

Each short paper in the series will tackle a key barrier. Setting out policy and practice recommendations for the Government, employers, disabled people and their families. 

New research in this report: 

• Employment and Barriers: Scope polling by Opinium took place in spring 2026. Surveying 1,000 disabled UK adults and 2,000 UK adults between 31 March and 9 April 2026. 
• Our Lives, Our Journey (OLOJ): Scope's groundbreaking longitudinal study running from 2016 to 2026. Following over 80 disabled people and their families. In-depth interviews captured the lived experience of participants at key points of transition in their lives. Its third and final wave explores the cumulative impact of their education, job market and employment experiences. 
• 'Work without Barriers' campaign: Across June and August 2026, insight was gathered from over 650 respondents. Focusing on their experiences of requesting and receiving reasonable adjustments at work. 

Learn more about the campaign

Closing remarks 

Work without barriers is possible. Halving the Disability Employment Gap requires investment, strategic oversight and coordinated action from the Government and employers. If structural barriers are addressed, the Disability Employment Gap will finally begin to reduce.