The voluntary, charity and social enterprise (VCSE) sector has emerged as the UK's leading sector for disability inclusion, with more organisations signed up to the Government's Disability Confident scheme than any other industry.
New analysis by neuroinclusion specialists Everway found that 2,944 charities and voluntary organisations are registered as Disability Confident employers, ahead of every other sector in the UK economy.
The research places the charity sector ahead of education, which has 2,027 registered employers, followed by care and social care with 1,672, health with 1,392, the public sector with 951, information technology and telecoms with 921, and recruitment agencies with 853.
The findings highlight the important role charities are playing in creating more inclusive workplaces by improving recruitment practices, supporting career development and helping disabled employees thrive throughout their working lives.
The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to remove barriers to employment, improve accessibility and ensure disabled people have equal opportunities to develop their careers. By April 2026, almost 19,000 employers across the UK had joined the scheme, demonstrating growing recognition of the benefits of inclusive employment.
Despite this progress, the report also highlights the scale of the challenge that remains. Disabled people continue to experience significantly lower employment rates than non-disabled people, with the disability employment gap standing at 30.3 percentage points for men and 23.1 percentage points for women.
Everway's research also found that human health and social work remains the largest employer of disabled people, accounting for 16.5% of all disabled people currently in employment.
Cathy Donnelly, Chief People Officer at Everway, said employers have made encouraging progress but stressed that genuine inclusion begins long before recruitment.
She said creating truly inclusive workplaces starts with ensuring disabled and neurodivergent people receive the right support throughout education and into employment. She added that many organisations still rely on systems and recruitment processes that assume everyone communicates, organises information and works in the same way, creating unnecessary barriers for many talented candidates.
The study also identified significant regional differences in Disability Confident participation. London has the highest number of registered Disability Confident employers, with 3,278 organisations, while Northern Ireland currently has 72, suggesting there is scope to increase awareness and participation in some parts of the UK.
Researchers also highlighted examples of positive local outcomes. In Epsom and Ewell, disabled employment rates were found to be almost equal to those of non-disabled residents, demonstrating that inclusive recruitment and workplace practices can help narrow employment gaps. Conversely, some areas continue to experience much wider disparities, underlining the importance of sustained action by employers and policymakers.
For employers, the findings reinforce the business case for investing in disability inclusion. Accessible recruitment, flexible working, assistive technology and inclusive workplace cultures not only improve opportunities for disabled people but also help organisations attract talent, strengthen employee engagement and improve retention.
As organisations continue to compete for skilled workers, the charity sector's leadership demonstrates that inclusive recruitment is not simply a social responsibility but an important part of building stronger, more resilient and more diverse workforces.
Sources
- Charity Times
- Everway Research
- UK Government – Disability Confident Scheme
- CIPD Disability Confident Guidance