People: Recruiting the disabled

The hospitality industry is being encouraged to recruit people with disabilities. Phil Mellows reports.

Seventies restaurant sitcom Robin's Nest used to play a running joke with a character called Riddle, a one-armed washer-upper. Cue broken plates and chuckles. But have you heard the one about the one-armed, two-star Michelin chef?

His name is Michael Caines and he seems to doing very nicely having just bought the hotel where he works as head chef, the Royal Clarence in Exeter, for £4.5m.

Michael was a guest speaker at a conference for employers organised by Springboard, the hospitality industry's recruitment body, to encourage them to recruit and develop careers for disabled people.

The argument is more than just a moral one. Anne Walker, managing director of Springboard, described disabled people as "a rich source of potential recruits" and the business case was elaborated by Mike Freeney, director of Access Matters.

"According to the latest figures there are 9.4 million disabled people in this country," he said. "A quarter of the population will be close to a disabled person in their personal lives."

Most disabilities are age-related and, as the population ages and advances in medicine are able to keep people going longer, the numbers of disabled people in society are on the increase. For instance, a paraplegic who would have a life expectancy of two years in a developing country can expect to live just as long as anyone else in an advanced country like Britain.

While the implications of this for disabled access under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) have been thoroughly publicised, the impact on employment has been neglected.

The final phase of the DDA next October will abolish the current 15-employee threshold and bring thousands of pubs under legislation which outlaws discriminatory practices in employment (see below).

But it's also true that a hospitality industry which is already grappling with a recruitment crisis cannot afford to ignore such a large pool of labour.

"By 2020 more than half the population will be over 50, and I estimate that 30 per cent of those will have an impairment which impacts on their life," said Mike.

"There are very few disabled people who are unable to work at all, given the right levels of support."

From an employer's point of view, the key to employing disabled people is to treat them as individuals. When you hear the word "disabled" it's natural to imagine people with wheelchairs or white sticks, but they only form a small minority.

As Mike pointed out, "most don't describe themselves as disabled. They will say they are 'elderly' or that they 'don't hear so well'. You probably already employ more disabled people than you think."

Even among people with severe impairments there are success stories. Take John Cadien. A wheelchair user since the age of 19 he still made it as a catering manager and now runs Chefspot, a Herefordshire scheme that trains people with learning difficulties and other disabilities for the catering industry.

There's others on their way up the ladder, such as Paul Maxwell, featured in the case study.

Louise Deane attended the conference as employment adviser for Action for Blind People. She is partially sighted herself but, like many New Zealanders, got a job behind a bar when she first came over here.

She later switched to waiting tables, "which was easier," she admitted. "But the only real limit is being able to handle money."

One of the problems faced by disabled people who are willing and able to work is what Mike Freeney described as "the soft bigotry of low expectations".

In fact, disabled people tend to be more resourceful, having to overcome all manner of obstacles every day of their lives.

"There are things I can't do, but there are a darn sight more things I can do," said Michael Caines. "Disabled people are so focused. They've had to be determined to even get through the door.

"It's an awesome sight to see me on the stove. Everyone struggles to keep up with me."

Case study: Paul Maxwell, chef, Korks Wine Bar​

Move over Jamie Oliver! That's the message from chef Paul Maxwell (picture top)​ at Korks wine bar in Otley, Yorkshire. Paul, however, has a distinct disadvantage in that he has been deaf since birth.

The 20-year-old is currently studying for an NVQ at Bradford College while holding down a full-time job at Korks where he relies on signing to communicate. He's pictured here signing "hello".

This has led to several other members the staff learning the basics of sign language and Paul being featured in the British Deaf Association's Learn to Sign week last month. "It makes life a lot easier with the staff here learning a few signs and I've settled in well," signed Paul. "I don't see any reason why deaf people can't get on in their chosen career. It just takes a little bit of patience and understanding from others. Once you have that you can achieve anything you want."

Korks owner Chris Payne, who has a deaf child himself and can sign reasonably well, said Paul is "developing by the day and faces a great future in the profession.

"He's proof positive that you can overcome obstacles, do what you really want to do and do it well."

DDA laws coming into force​

From October 1 2004, employers of fewer than 15 people will come under the DDA's employment laws. This means:

• You must not treat people less favourably on the basis of their disability, either when recruiting or when they are already employed. For example, you can't reject a person for a bar job because they are facially disfigured.
• You must make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled staff, for example providing an accessible toilet, flexible working hours and additional training and supervision.
• You take responsibility for disabled staff being victimised or harassed.

For more information go to www.drc-gb.org or call the Disability Rights Commission helpline on 08457 622633 between 8am and 8pm.