Sightsavers awarded for supporting staff with disabilities

Sightsavers has been awarded Disability Confident Employer Level 3 accreditation for our work promoting disability inclusion in the workplace.

The status is the highest level an organisation can achieve and is handed out to a select group of employers who have shown themselves to be leaders in this field.

The accolade is given out by Disability Confident, which aims to change attitudes towards people with disabilities in the workplace, encouraging organisations to take action to recruit, train and develop staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

The scheme, run by the UK government, aims to make workplaces more inclusive and develop the potential of all their staff members.

7.9 million people of working age in the UK have a disability, so the scheme also encourages employers to draw candidates from the widest pool of talent and gives people with disabilities around the country better opportunities to find employment.

Sightsavers CEO Dr Caroline Harper said: “I am very proud that we have received the highest level of this award, which encourages employers to think differently about disability.

“It is so important to be inclusive in the workplace, and take action to improve how we recruit, retain and develop the potential of people with disabilities. This is an area close to our hearts, given our mission to promote disability inclusion. We are living our mission and practising what we preach.”

Sightsavers’ internal Social Inclusion Working Group, established to help reach diversity goals in the workplace, was also recently nominated for a Bond Diversity Award.

You can find out more about the accreditation here.