Why this matters to us

Difference North East fights for equality for disabled people and an end to discrimination on the grounds of disability. We are a Deaf and Disabled People's Organisation (DDPO) run by and for disabled people. The experiences of disabled people across the North East direct our work, and we act to make sure disabled voices are included and centred in the decisions that affect their lives.

Employment is one of the most significant areas where disabled people face structural inequality. There are an estimated 567,000 disabled people in the North East. Across the UK, around 5 million disabled people are in work, yet the gap between disabled and non-disabled employment rates remains enormous.

Closing that gap requires employers to genuinely change how they recruit, retain and develop disabled employees. The Disability Confident scheme is one mechanism designed to drive that change. But is it working?

What the Disability Confident scheme is meant to do

The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled employees. It operates at three levels: Level 1 (Committed), Level 2 (Employer) and Level 3 (Leader). As employers progress through the levels, the expectations and external scrutiny increase.

At its best, the scheme encourages organisations to review their recruitment policies, make reasonable adjustments to interview processes, challenge attitudes to disability in the workplace, and support disabled employees to stay in or return to work. It connects directly to the legal duties employers already have under the Equality Act 2010.

We recognise the scheme has real benefits and has prompted genuine improvements in some organisations. But it also has significant weaknesses that limit its impact, and we think it is important to name them plainly.

Where the scheme falls short

The central problem with the Disability Confident scheme is that it is too easy to gain the kitemark without making any meaningful change. This is particularly acute at Level 1, where employers self-assess with no external checks. An organisation can describe itself as Disability Confident on paper without ever employing a disabled person or putting a single change in place.

The scheme currently lacks robust performance measures. There is no requirement to record how many disabled people have been recruited, retained or progressed as a result of participation. Without that data, there is no accountability, and without accountability, the badge risks becoming meaningless. An employer can hold Level 1 status indefinitely without demonstrating any outcomes.

This matters particularly in the North East, where our 2026 Access to the Everyday Report found that disabled people face compounding barriers to employment, housing, transport and services. Employers in our region who sign up to Disability Confident must be held to what that commitment actually means.

Four commitments that would make the scheme work

We support widening participation in the Disability Confident scheme across the North East. But we want organisations to register for the right reasons and to commit to addressing the structural barriers disabled people face in employment. We are calling for four additional commitments to be embedded in the scheme at all levels:

1. A commitment to equality training, delivered by disabled people. Organisations should commit to regular equality training that builds genuine understanding of disability, develops a culture of inclusion, and builds confidence in discussing disability. Wherever possible, this training should be delivered by a Deaf and Disabled People's Organisation (DDPO) such as Difference North East. Our disability awareness and social model training is designed to do exactly this.
2. A commitment to inclusive recruitment as standard practice, not an optional extra. Jobs should be posted on platforms compatible with assistive technology. Recruitment materials should use inclusive language grounded in the social model of disability. Candidates should have a variety of ways to apply, not just a single standardised application form. These are not exceptional adjustments. They are what good recruitment looks like.
3. A commitment to work with disabled people or DPOs as critical friends. Organisations should partner with disabled people or with a Disabled People's Organisation to peer-review their recruitment processes, policies and procedures, and to co-produce meaningful improvements. This is the difference between consulting disabled people and genuinely involving them. Difference North East offers consultancy services to organisations wanting to do this work properly.
4. A commitment to ongoing monitoring, embedded in annual business reviews. Disability Confident status should not be a badge acquired and then ignored. Organisations at all three levels should be required to embed their Disability Confident commitments into annual business reviews, track outcomes for disabled employees, and be subject to periodic external review. Without this, the scheme cannot demonstrate whether it is working.

Further reading

• Disability News Service: One in three Disability Confident employers have employed no disabled people
• DWP: Disability Confident scheme findings from a survey of participating employers (2022)
• Difference North East: Reasonable Adjustments guide
• Difference North East: What Are My Rights as a Disabled Person?
• Difference North East: What is the Social Model of Disability?
• Difference North East: Recruitment is Broken. Accessibility is the Answer.
• Difference North East: Disability Inclusion in Governance