A leading independent recruitment website has become the first of its kind in Scotland to provide employment advice and assistance online to blind and partially sighted jobseekers.
ScottishJobs.com, part of recruitment website group IrishJobs.ie and NIJobs.com, has implemented assistive technology for those with visual impairments to access Braille displays and information on screen read aloud.
The announcement is likely to be seen as a tremendous boost to those jobseekers with visual impairments as recent statistics provided by UK charities Action for Blind People and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), indicate that up to 75% of blind and partially sighted people of working age are currently unemployed.
According to EU figures, citizens with a disability throughout Europe are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than their non-disabled peers, while in some parts of the UK, up to 70% of people with a disability are in long-term unemployment.
ScottishJobs.com managing director Pat Kelly says, In recognising our unique position in being so close to a large number of recruiters and jobseekers on a daily basis we have developed a special programme of initiatives to link jobseekers with disabilities and recruiters through the website. We hope to significantly raise awareness and to encourage people with a disability to pursue work in their chosen careers. As there are more than 10 million disabled people in Britain it also makes good business sense for employers to tap into this pool of talent.
The announcement arrives just as amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) come into force this month for businesses with fifteen employees of less, which now means that all employers, regardless of size, will now have to ensure that disabled people can fully access their building or services.
Minister for Disabled People, Maria Eagle, who is leading the campaign to raise awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act among business, says, Opening up to disabled customers and staff is not all about expensive ramps and lifts. In fact it could be a lot easier than businesses think and can make all the difference to disabled people and get businesses well on the way to meeting their new duties under the Disability Discrimination Act from October.
Edinburgh-headquartered ScottishJobs.com is the first online recruitment site in Scotland to have taken this step, which is designed to link the needs of thousands of disabled jobseekers with an online job search capability and a support mechanism of recruitment advice.
The main functions of the site have been made accessible to meet Double-A standards of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines part of the Web Accessibility Initiative - following rigorous testing by blind users including renowned international speaker, sportsman and entrepreneur Mark Pollock, who is also blind.
Over the coming months ScottishJobs.com plan to develop a comprehensive online resource for jobseekers with disabilities which will include a guide to the support mechanisms and assistive technologies available and strategies to prepare them for competitive jobs in todays market
Blind jobseekers see new opportunities online
A leading independent recruitment website has become the first of its kind in Scotland to provide employment advice and assistance online to blind and partially sighted jobseekers
