Brighton Pavilion MP Siân Berry recently visited Grace Eyre to learn more about what we do and to hear about the challenges faced by people with a learning disability and autistic people in the world of work.
She heard from Grace Eyre staff that only 4.8% of people with a learning disability nationally are in paid work, but 60% say that they would like to work. And only 1 in 3 of autistic adults are in paid work, with autistic people facing the largest pay gap of all disability groups.
At Grace Eyre, we are addressing this difference through an employment strategy that aims to increase the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in paid jobs. We are committed to increasing the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in paid jobs at Grace Eyre to 20% from the current level of 8.7%. We also offer volunteer roles that provide the skills needed for paid work, for example through the Purple Productions events team and Our Voices.
To help people find more jobs and be successful in other organisations, we have launched a new employment campaign ‘Work-Able’. The campaign will target employers, legislators and local authorities to raise awareness of the benefits of employing more people with a learning disability, and to support them and make sure they are treated fairly once in the workforce.
As Siân was shown around our Active Lives service at Telecom House in Brighton, she met people attending creative and educational sessions, such as art and computing. She also heard about our free employment and skills training, including upcoming courses to develop digital skills. She learned about the challenges that people have faced finding paid work outside of Grace Eyre, as well as the positive impacts that training has already made to some people’s lives.
Siân also heard about Grace Eyre’s Housing service and its work supporting people to live independently.
She said:
“Grace Eyre is a fantastic organisation that is highly valued by so many of my constituents and it was excellent to meet so many of them during my visit.
“The atmosphere was absolutely incredible and so much fun. But I also had a serious discussion about the impact and challenges of the work the foundation is doing to help people with learning disabilities and autistic people live well.
“I fully support Grace Eyre’s important Work-Able campaign. I hope to see legislators, employers and local authorities take note and make meaningful progress to help more adults with learning disabilities into employment.”
The visit was organised by Pagane Gacheva, Grace Eyre’s Our Voices Coordinator, who said:
“I am passionate about making political knowledge and involvement accessible for the people we support. Having met Siân Berry during Our Voices’ benefits campaign work, it was wonderful to have her visit the Grace Eyre office and for her to hear the stories of different people – from housing and employment to artistic expression and being active members of the community.
“I see the distinct autism and learning disability community as also being an integral part of the wider community, so accessible ways to engage with politics are vital.”
Finally, Siân met with Grace Eyre Chief Executive Eva Eriksson who added:
“Thank you to Siân Berry for visiting us at Grace Eyre. It was great to show her around our headquarters, to share both the creativity of the people we support, and the impact our work makes on their lives.
“Our employment strategy and campaign will make even more difference, ensuring more people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, who can and want to work are able to, and we are looking forward to working with Siân more on this”.
Learn more about our employment strategy, plus employability and skills courses.
Read success stories from people supported by Grace Eyre.