Working with a Disability - The Shocking Truth & Stats

This October will be twenty years since my accident, spinal injury and day my whole life changed. Being 19 years old when I acquired my disability meant lots of things, but the one that has given me the most insight and fire in my belly to change? As I started my disabled life, I also started my working life and navigating the two together was nothing short of a rollercoaster.

Prior to my accident I wanted to work in advertising, I had done multiple unpaid internships in a bid to gain experience and had a list of the agencies I wanted to apply to when I left uni.  Sadly following my accident when the time to apply came, one of the agencies I worked for told me in very frank terms, not to bother.  The words 'no ad agency will put someone with a disability in front of a client' still haunt me today.  It was brutal, it was archaic and cruel BUT it was the kindest thing because they were right and saved me what could have been years of wasted applications and rejections before finding a job.

I worked in a few different jobs after uni (not advertising), in a few different industries doing different roles.  I actually never stayed in one role for longer than 18 months which was exhausting but also meant I went through a host of application processes too. In hindsight I now know this was because nothing really was the right fit, none of the places where I worked really understood disability and what I needed. But the real key? I didn't know what I needed. 

All too often the onus is put on us as disabled people to ask for adjustments, say what we need and how we need it but when we know 80% of disabilities are acquired the truth is, we often don't know ourselves.  I firmly believe we can change the world of work for people with disabilities, that initiatives like The Lilac Review and Access to Work can and will help but there is much more to do.

So, having done ten years working as an employee and now 4 years working as a full time founder I wanted to share everything I've learned - the facts, the stats we have unearthed and the best tips and resources to support a positive working life.

Disabled People Working: Facts & Statistics

• Disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people.
• Disabled people are paid less than non disabled people - an average of 17% less which effectively means they work for free for one week of every month.
• To give context, if we use May as an example this means disabled people's last paid day of work for May would be this Friday 23rd May, with the rest of the May being unpaid.
• Disabled people make up 24% of the UK population
• Disabled founders 25% of all small business founders in the UK 
• Disabled founded businesses contribute 8% of GDP 

The Reality Behind the Research

Disabled employees and founders in the UK are revealing that the world of work is not designed for them, with welfare cuts and a lack of business funding ensuring they cannot win. 

Disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, and three times as likely to be economically inactive. The recent welfare cuts announced by Liz Kendall are intended to increase disabled work incentives, however, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has not found strong evidence that the cuts will lead to more people going into work. 

This could be linked to the disability pay gap. In 2023/24, the gap stood at £2.35 per hour, or 17.2%, with non-disabled employees earning a median of £16.03 per hour compared to £13.68 for disabled employees. This means non-disabled employees earn 17.2% more than disabled employees. 

Our latest research estimates that disabled people essentially work for free for the last 17.2% of each month, or 5.2 days on average, which equates to one full work week. Therefore, disabled people this month technically aren’t being paid from Friday, 23rd May 2025 at 12.55 pm.

The public is also sceptical that UK action on disability and work, delivered through these reforms, is primarily designed to help people into work. A survey of nearly 4,000 Brits has revealed that half (47%) feel these measures have been taken to fill a gap in the budget, rather than to support people into work (33%), with one disabled Brit revealing disability discrimination to be the real issue.

Pictured - Grace True wearing a Skulls Cool Walking Stick

Grace's Story

One of our customers, Grace True, from Sheffield, is navigating life with a disability and was sadly made redundant from her previous employment when she was seven weeks pregnant. After three months of her employer considering adjustments recommended by Occupational Health to assist with her disability needs, she was told she was being made redundant just three days later.

When looking for a new employer, Grace found herself being constantly overlooked for roles, despite being overqualified. 

All too often employment is not as accessible or inclusive as it should be.  This is likely partly why we can see such a strong representation in small business owners when it comes to disabled founders.  I know myself that employment was unsustainable for me and my health due to commuting, events, meetings and out of hours work which all became too much for me physically which also then impacted me mentally.

Taking to her Instagram account, Grace revealed that she conducted an experiment by removing any evidence of her disability from her CV. After previously struggling for responses, following this, she got a call within 10 minutes of updating her CV on a jobs site, and a new job within just one week. 

Grace shared: “Equality in employment is a f*****g myth. The law says companies can’t discriminate against us, but believe me, there are so many loopholes to deny us a look in and zero requirements for their buildings to even be accessible in the first place.”

Grace believes the disabled community is being penalised by the government, however, companies don’t want to navigate the hurdles to make themselves accessible and have an inclusive workplace.

From Grace’s perspective, the community is portrayed as unwilling or too lazy to work, and are simply living off benefits, yet the government, which is making the decisions, doesn’t have disabilities themselves and therefore can’t understand the struggles. 

“The disability benefit system is already unfit for purpose and barely enough to cover basic needs, and they’re going to cut it again, wondering all the while why mental health issues are skyrocketing. Not every person can just go back to work, and I’m so sick of the government and everybody else actively shaming disabled people for the things they have no control over.

“We are human beings, just trying to survive, and yet somehow always being punished for simply existing. Disabled people literally cannot win.”

Grace is once again looking for work after her contract ended, applying for over 100 roles with no success. Sadly, she has now discovered new ‘loopholes’ that businesses are trying to utilise. 

“I’ve come across several roles where they will write at the bottom of the advert that if they receive a lot of applications, disabled applicants won’t be guaranteed and/or offered an interview. Essentially, saying in any case, they’ll always prioritise able-bodied candidates. It’s not about special treatment, it’s about equitable treatment, and the reality is we’re either seen as a box-ticking exercise or a hindrance, but never a human being.”

My Personal Experience

After my accident I also worried I wouldn’t be able to find work. When I broke my back and doctor's described my spine as looking like someone had 'taken a hammer to a meringue' it meant I went from being foot loose and fancy free to unable to walk and being permanently reliant on walking aids in a split second. 

Despite the months of recovery and worrying about my future, I was able to get a job as Head of Operations, however, a potential tax break opportunity for the company seemed to be what got my foot in the door. 

I went for my first interview with the CEO, who then asked me to wait at the end for their Financial Director to come because he thought they might get a tax break if they employed me. He couldn’t make it because he was in a meeting, but they said, ‘Well, as soon as we have confirmation, we’ll let you know.’

Honestly, I think it’s sad because I was relieved to hear there was a positive association! Every other interview I’d been to at that point, there had been a noticeable wince or shift in tone and enthusiasm between arranging the interview and then once they’d seen my stick.

Pictured - Amelia Co Founder of Cool Crutches Wearing Snow Leopard Crutches

From Employment to Founder

In 2021, after the company I was working for went into administration I decided to take on running Cool Crutches full time.  Not only to give myself some flexibility but to also try and make a difference for the disabled community.  Being a disabled founder is amazing and definitely better than a disabled employee but with a disability in tow, it comes with its own challenges.

I honestly faced so many challenges when starting the business, from day-to-day physical limitations, including travelling for things such as networking, which is key to learning when you’re a founder, to barriers when it came to trying to speak to people about working together.

The disability stigmas mean, even now, people assume the business isn’t for them, and it’s a slog to get people to understand the value and potential in the disabled community, especially with me as a founder and us as a business. My disability was always the first focus, then the business. 

Managing my medical condition day to day is unpredictable, so trying to protect my health whilst growing the business is a juggle. It isn’t something many understand, and so flexibility in the way I work has been a hard uphill battle, which we’ve ensured to make easier for our employees too, with a remote and flexible working set up.

Data shows that one in four founders in the UK identify as disabled or neurodiverse, yet they are 400x less likely to receive VC funding. As a female disabled founder, my reality is that I have a 0.005% chance of securing VC funding. Despite this, research and insights indicate that disabled founders are likely to make 1.6x more revenue, 2.6x more net income, and 2x more economic profit.

Small Business Britain has been working with Lloyds Bank to create a better entrepreneurial environment in the UK for disabled entrepreneurs and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and make their business dreams a reality.

Their Disability and Entrepreneurship report discovered that 60% did not get any support when starting their business, either financial, training, advice, or other support, with 84% feeling that they do not have equal access to the same opportunities and resources as non-disabled founders.

To ensure further support, The Lilac Review was created in February of 2024 to identify the barriers faced by Disabled founders in the UK, with a final report released as of May 2025, to highlight recommendations needed.  

Amelia Co Founder of Cool Crutches at Downing St Wearing Emerald Sky Crutches

I have been lucky enough to attend multiple events in support of The Lilac review which has absolutely brilliant. The review itself has changed the game for everyone with a disability. In real terms the last 18 months have opened doors previously closed to our community, it has shone a spotlight on the enormous value disability brings when it comes to business and made big businesses aware of what they are doing, how they are doing it and where inclusion hasn’t gone as far as it should.  

“We have it all to play for and now, with the support of the incredible work of the Lilac Review, we have the means to achieve it.”

Sources:
Disabled employment rate - Disability pay gap - Office for Budget Responsibility

If you found this blog useful and you'd like to read more like it, we recommend these: 

Sarah Berthon: Must-Have Guide for Disabled Entrepreneurs and Employees

Disability Benefits - Everything You Need to Know

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