Few weeks ago, I was given the honor of speaking in the House of Lords at the launch of the Report on Progress through Transparency, a landmark report from the Institute of Directors, and Disability@Work. As I shared the stage with Lord Shinkwin and the Rt. Hon. Sir Stephen Timms, Rt. Hon. Deidre C. Costigan, Professor Kim Hoque and other passionate advocates (including the Rt. Hon. Deidre C. Costigan, Rt. Hon. Deidre Timms, and others), I was reminded about the importance of transparency in driving real, systemic changes.
The Report argues for the mandatory reporting of disability employment and pay gaps. This move, if implemented could be just as transformative for people with disabilities as gender pay gaps reporting has been in the workplace. This is a long-overdue call to action, which has the support of both parliamentarians and peers.
Pay and Employment: A Problem to be Addressed
As someone who spent years advocating more human-centered, inclusive workplaces, I have seen how data can act as a catalyst for a change. We create accountability when we bring inequality to light. We provide organisations with the information they need to make changes and the impetus to take action.
In the UK, the employment rate of disabled people is still around 50%. This is not a mere statistic. It’s a reflection on the biases and barriers that still exist in our workplaces. The Report on Progress through Transparency does not just point out the problem, it also offers a roadmap to change. We can get a better picture of the situation by mandating that both employment and wage gap reports be reported.
Fairness is the best policy
The shared urgency was what I found most striking during the launch. It’s not about checking boxes or meeting quotas. Fairness is the goal. It’s about fairness.
Transparency alone is not a panacea. The report correctly notes that there are risks. For example, employers may not make reasonable adjustments in order to manipulate their own data. These challenges are not reasons to put off the implementation; they are reasons to do it right. The key will be clear guidance, thoughtful policy development, and a dedication to continuous improvement.
A note on gender pay gap reporting
The gender pay gap report hasn’t had the direct effect on women’s salaries that many might have expected. However, it has made a positive impact. There has been a rise in research and an increased awareness of the retirement gap. It has helped us to understand the systemic problems that hold women back and (I think) it’s at least begun to change the dial. I believe disability reporting can have the same effect.
Achieving beyond a slogan
In the House of Lords I stressed the importance of looking at people and not just numbers. Every data point represents a human being with hopes, talents and potential. Transparency provides us with the tools we need to create workplaces that allow this potential to be realized.
This report is much more than just a proposal for policy. This is a declaration of intent. It’s a declaration that we won’t accept invisibility. We will not allow disabilities to be used as a secret disadvantage at work.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the report and those who continue fighting for equity and inclusiveness. Let’s continue to push. Keep listening. Let’s ensure that transparency is not just a slogan, but a real way to progress.
