Toolkits for Success - managing off-campus learning for students with disabilities

Finding Work Placements

Disability Friendly Employers

Some companies actively encourage applications from disabled students. Companies signed up to the 'Two Tick' scheme guarantee disabled students an interview if they meet the job criteria. Employers display the 2 ticks logo/disability symbol on their vacancy information. The scheme is run by the Job Centres.

Contact your Disability Employment Adviser through your local job centre for a list of companies signed up to the Two Ticks scheme.
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/Customers/HelpForDisabledPeople/DisabilitySymbol

The Employers Forum on Disability also provides a list of companies working to improve the work prospects for disabled people, available online.
www.employers-forum.co.uk


Work Experience Schemes For Disabled Students

Many schemes are specifically designed to help disabled students find work experience:

Civil Service Summer Placement Scheme
www.diversity.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=133
6 – 8 week placements in the civil service

BBC Extend Programme
www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/extend
Provides work placements for talented disabled people. This programme is currently under review and information regarding a new format will be available on the website as soon as it becomes available.

Bar Council
www.barcouncil.org.uk
Offers a ‘matching’ process to link students and graduates with barristers with a similar disability.

Shaw Trust
www.shaw-trust.org.uk
Offers vocational training, work tasters and work preparation for disabled people.

Employment Opportunities
www.opportunities.org.uk
Matching scheme that provides additional help and support with finding a range of vacancies.

Blind in Business
www.blindinbusiness.org.uk
Job covenant scheme which helps blind students and graduates find work placements.

Some general sources of vacancies for disabled people (some of which may be suitable for work experience) are:

Disability Now
www.disabilitynow.org.uk
Newspaper covering disability issues, including some job vacancies.

Jobability
www.jobability.com
Website of job vacancies for disabled people


Support in Scotland and Ireland

Capability Scotland
www.capability-scotland.org.uk
Range of information, advice and support for disabled people in Scotland.

AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access & Disability)
www.ahead.ie
Information and advice for higher education students in Ireland.


Help for Specific Disabilities

Arthritis

Arthritis Care
www.arthritiscare.org.uk

Autism

National Autism Society (Autism & Aspergers Syndrome)
www.nas.org.uk

Blind/Visual impairments

Royal National Institute for the Blind
www.rnib.org.uk

Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Teachers and Students
www.abapstas.org.uk

Brittle Bones

Brittle Bone Society
www.brittlebone.org

Cerebal Palsy

Scope
www.scope.org.uk

Colitis & Crohn’s Disease

National Association Colitis & Crohn’s Disease
www.nacc.org.uk

Deaf

Deafplus
www.deafplus.org

Royal Association of Deaf People
www.royaldeaf.org.uk

Working Without Hearing
www.workingwithouthearing.com

Diabetes

Diabetes UK
www.diabetes.org.uk

Disfigurement

Changing Faces
www.changingfaces.co.uk

Dyslexia

British Dyslexia Association
www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

Dyslexia Institute
www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk

Epilepsy

National Society for Epilepsy
www.epilepsynse.org.uk

Learning Difficulties

MENCAP
www.mencap.org.uk

ME

ME Association
www.meassociation.org.uk

Mental Health

Mind
www.mind.org.uk

Mental illness, including schizophrenia

Rethink
www.rethink.org

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Society
www.mssociety.org.uk

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation
www.msif.org

Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
www.asbah.org

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