A new scheme that provides “affordable and reliable” cars for disabled drivers wants to target 1.2 million disabled people who could be eligible. If organisations communicate its benefits internally and externally, they could hire and retain more disabled workers.
The scheme
Awareness of the Mobility Scheme has been given a push via a media campaign entitled “Everyday Freedom”, where a TV advert is currently airing across ITV, Channel 4, and selected Sky channels and “highlights the daily joys that driving brings us as we return to a semblance of normality.”
Disabled people will be able to lease a car, scooter, or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme at an affordable rate. The three-year package includes “insurance for up to three named drivers, RAC breakdown assistance, vehicle servicing, and maintenance, as well as tyre and windscreen repair and replacement.”
Currently, over 630,000 disabled customers benefit from the scheme where “all profits are reinvested for the benefit of people with disabilities.”
“Through the Motability Scheme, recipients of the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment, Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance, War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement or Armed Forces Independence Payment can choose to exchange their weekly allowance to lease a new vehicle,” read a statement from a company representative.
What employers can do
While workplace accessibility has become a larger conversation, evidenced by the proliferation of “cycle to work schemes” within perks packages, it’s not necessarily been about disability.
Organisations could do more to support disability accessibility schemes and communicate them to onboarding and current employees and job postings to encourage more disabled applicants to apply from various locations.
Firms could also do more to promote the Government’s Access to Work scheme, which helps disabled employees, interns, and trainees with support workers, such as readers for the visually impaired or communicators for deaf workers; and can help provide workplace adjustments such as specialist equipment and offer financial assistance to those who need taxi transport to work if they can’t use public services.
With only 52.3% of disabled people in employment, according to government figures published this year, the effective communication of accessibility scheme options to disabled job seekers and employees could help plug the disability employment gap and make disabled workers feel supported by their organisation.
Delia Ray, Head of Marketing for Motability Operations, said: “We are proud to be providing worry-free mobility to over 630,000 customers across the UK. However, we know that over a million more people with qualifying allowances could also access the scheme and benefit from the freedom and independence it offers. Still, many are unaware of how it could help them.
“This campaign, therefore, aims to showcase what the scheme offers to many more people with disabilities, and their families and carers, encouraging them to find out more. And television, with its powerful impact and potential to reach many thousands of viewers, is at the heart of this.
“When customers talk about the impact of the scheme, they frequently use words such as independence and freedom. It is this essence that has inspired our Everyday Freedom campaign, and we’re excited to be sharing it with more people this spring.”
Currently, only one-third of eligible disabled people are using the Motability Scheme. To find out more, please click here.
