Radar probes barriers to career success for disabled

Disability network Radar has launched research into the barriers disabled people face in climbing the career ladder and what it takes to enable them to reach senior roles.

Radar is calling on disabled people in top roles to respond to an online questionnaire about their career experiences to inform the study. Several respondents will be asked to take part in interviews, to provide more detailed evidence.

Chief executive Liz Sayce said the area was currently unresearched, adding: “Disabled people have talent ambition and potential which all too often goes to waste.”

Funded by major bank

The research is being funded by one of the major banks who identified a lack of disabled people at senior level and wanted to investigate if there was a wealth of talent in lower levels of the business. Radar has not disclosed which bank it is.

Project manager Mike Smith said he wanted to reach people who did not identify themselves as disabled.

He added: “We know that a lot of people [in senior positions] may not identify themselves as disabled. Also even if they do they may decide to keep that quiet at work for fear that it may impact negatively on their career prospects.”

The results of the project are due to be published later this year. Radar is intending to repeat the research in several years’ time to monitor progress.

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