PHIL FRIEND

In 1946, the British government decided which jobs were suitable for disabled people. Lift attendant. Car park attendant. That was broadly it. Under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944, these roles were formally designated — reserved exclusively for registered disabled workers. It was actually an offence to give the job to someone without a disability without a special permit. By the 1960s, almost every lift attendant and car park attendant in Britain carried the green

I keep seeing articles about the “untapped talent” of disabled people. The phrase pops up with the reliability of a well-worn sitcom rerun. It’s meant warmly, I know. But after thirty-plus years in this field, I can’t help feeling a familiar mix of frustration and quiet amusement. Because if this really were a new idea, I must have dreamt most of the 1990s. The Numbers Haven’t Moved Much Here’s the reality. In 2024, just over half of working-age disabled people in the UK wer