This page contains government policy and legislation, as well as consultations, that will be of interest to people working in the field of employment and disability.
The Equality Act
Employment policy for blind and partially sighted people is largely governed by the provision for disabled people in the Equality Act. For more information please go to our Equality Act and employers section.
Work Capability Assessment independent review - year three
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was introduced in October 2008 to assess entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Professor Harrington was reappointed to lead the third independent review in 2012. His report sets out a series of recommendations to the Government based on the evidence he collected as part of the review and which complement the recommendations from his first and second reviews. The main recommendations focus on:
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actively considering the need for further documentary evidence in every claimant's case, and justifying it if this is not sought
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continuing to strive for an appropriate balance between quality decisions and achieving benchmarks
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working with the Tribunal Service to gather more quality feedback on decisions that have been overturned on appeal.
The Department of Work and Pensions published the year three review on 20 November 2012.
Visit the DWP website to download the review, and the government's response to it.
Sayce review
The Sayce review could fundamentally change the landscape of employment support for blind and partially sighted people. In 2010 the Government commissioned the Chief Executive of the pan-disability charity RADAR, Liz Sayce, to lead an independent review of the employment support available to disabled people. Sayce consulted widely, including within RNIB Group. She published her report setting out nearly thirty recommendations on June 9th 2011. 'Getting in, staying in and getting on: Disability employment support fit for the future' has been billed as an attempt to meet the future aspirations of disabled people in the context of a changing economy and the big changes in the way we all work. Liz Sayce writes in the foreword of her report:
"The review offered me the chance to challenge everyone (employers, Government, providers, and disabled people ourselves) to play our roles so we can achieve greater rights in practice, and disabled people can contribute more to economic recovery".
The Sayce review provides a series of recommendations on the following key areas: personalised support, Access to Work, residential training, Remploy's services, and existing DWP employment programmes (Work Programme and Work Choice).
DWP and RNIB have provided separate responses to the Sayce review. The responses address the recommendations as highlighted in the Sayce Review.
You can download the Sayce review, the government's response to it, the consultation on the recommendations, and the government's response to these recommendations by visiting the DWP website.
You can download RNIB's own response to the consultation below.
RNIB response
Read the RNIB Group response to the government consultation on the Sayce review.
RNIB Group response to the Sayce consultation (Word, 250 KB)