Do 'Disability Confident' Companies Really Care About Hiring Disabled People, or Is It Just a Tick-Box Exercise?

The UK’s ‘Disability Confident’ scheme was introduced to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people. On paper, it sounds like a positive step towards inclusivity. But in practice, does it truly lead to better employment opportunities for disabled individuals, or is it just another corporate box-ticking exercise with little real impact?

The Promise vs. The Reality

The Disability Confident scheme is designed to help employers become more inclusive by offering guidance and best practices for hiring and supporting disabled employees. Companies that sign up can achieve different levels of accreditation, with the highest level (‘Disability Confident Leader’) supposedly demonstrating an organisation’s full commitment to disability inclusion.

However, for many disabled job seekers, the reality is far from promising. Despite a company displaying the ‘Disability Confident’ badge on its website or job postings, many disabled applicants still struggle to secure employment. The question is: are companies truly changing their hiring practices, or are they merely meeting the minimum requirements to appear inclusive?

Many companies may make strong public commitments to disability inclusion but fail to follow through with tangible action. It’s common to see businesses proudly display their Disability Confident accreditation on recruitment pages while offering inaccessible application processes, conducting non-inclusive interviews, or failing to make reasonable adjustments once a disabled employee is hired.

Barriers Still Exist

Many disabled job seekers continue to face systemic challenges, including:

·  Bias in recruitment – Some companies may claim to be ‘disability confident’ but still reject qualified disabled candidates due to unconscious (or conscious) bias.

·  Lack of reasonable adjustments – Even when disabled employees are hired, they often struggle to get the adjustments they need to work effectively, such as flexible hours, assistive technology, or accessible office spaces.

·  Retention issues – Some companies hire disabled employees to meet diversity targets but fail to provide a supportive work environment, leading to high turnover rates.

·  Discriminatory hiring practices – Many disabled applicants report going through interview processes only to be rejected without clear feedback, making it difficult to determine whether their disability played a role in the decision.

·  Lack of alternative hiring assessments – Standard interviews often disadvantage disabled candidates, particularly those with neurodiverse conditions or communication difficulties. Employers rarely offer alternative methods of assessing a candidate’s true ability to do the job.

·  Assumptions about capability – Employers may assume that disabled candidates will require extensive accommodations or will not be able to perform as well as non-disabled colleagues, leading to automatic rejection before real skills are assessed.

·  Inaccessible job application processes – Many online application systems are not designed with accessibility in mind, making it difficult for disabled candidates to apply in the first place.

·  Failure to provide disability-inclusive career progression – Even when disabled people are employed, they are often overlooked for promotions, leadership roles, and training opportunities, limiting their career growth.

What Can You Do as a Disabled Job Seeker?

If you are struggling to secure a job despite attending interviews, it’s important to consider several strategies:

·  Request feedback – Politely ask interviewers for constructive feedback to understand whether there are areas to improve or whether bias may be a factor.

·  Seek support – Disability employment services, mentoring schemes, and advocacy groups can help navigate the job market and provide tailored guidance.

·  Challenge discrimination – If you suspect discrimination, you have the right to file a complaint or seek legal advice through organisations such as ACAS or the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

·  Explore alternative pathways – Self-employment, freelancing, or social enterprises may provide more accessible work environments where you have greater control over your career.

·  Network and find allies – Connecting with disabled professionals and inclusive employers through LinkedIn or disability-focused career events can open doors to opportunities that might not be publicly advertised.

·  Look for genuinely inclusive employers – Some companies go beyond the Disability Confident scheme and have a proven track record of hiring and supporting disabled employees. Research company policies, employee testimonials, and reviews on workplace inclusion.

Tick-Box Culture and PR Spin

One of the biggest concerns is that for some employers, being ‘Disability Confident’ is little more than a branding exercise. Achieving a Disability Confident accreditation does not require companies to prove that they have successfully hired or retained disabled employees—only that they have pledged to follow certain guidelines. This means that a company can achieve accreditation without making any real, measurable impact.

Some businesses use disability inclusion as a public relations tool rather than a true commitment to change. They may sign pledges, attend diversity panels, or release statements during Disability History Month while simultaneously failing to support their disabled employees or job applicants.

Advice for Employers: Moving Beyond a Tick-Box Exercise

If employers genuinely want to make their workplaces more inclusive, they must take action beyond simply signing up for the Disability Confident scheme. Here’s what they can do:

·  Ensure recruitment processes are accessible – Use accessible online application platforms, offer alternative interview formats, and be clear about adjustments available for disabled candidates.

·  Provide clear career progression opportunities – Disabled employees should have equal opportunities for promotions, leadership roles, and professional development.

·  Be transparent about disability inclusion – Companies should publish statistics on how many disabled people they hire and retain to demonstrate real commitment.

·  Conduct independent audits – External reviews should assess whether a company’s disability policies are genuinely effective, rather than just performative.

·  Invest in training – Disability inclusion training should be mandatory for recruiters, hiring managers, and senior leadership to challenge unconscious biases and improve understanding of reasonable adjustments.

·  Create a culture of support – Employers should actively consult disabled employees and listen to their needs rather than assuming what adjustments are required.

·  Hire disabled people into leadership roles – Representation matters. Having disabled people in decision-making positions ensures workplace policies are shaped by lived experiences.

·  Go beyond compliance – Rather than meeting the bare minimum legal requirements, businesses should strive to create an environment where disabled employees thrive, not just survive.

While the Disability Confident scheme has the potential to drive meaningful change, too many companies use it as a badge of honour rather than a catalyst for action. Until businesses prove that they are genuinely committed to inclusive hiring and workplace support, many disabled job seekers will continue to view it as just another corporate tick-box exercise.

Real change requires more than just words—it requires action, accountability, and a genuine desire to remove barriers for disabled people in the workforce. Employers must stop treating disability inclusion as a PR exercise and start ensuring that disabled people have the same opportunities, respect, and career prospects as everyone else.