The UK’s minister for disabled people, Sarah Newton, has announced a new Tech Fund as part of Access to Work that will offer employers significant savings on the cost of assistive technology.
News of the Tech Fund came as the minister spoke in Birmingham last month at Naidex, Europe’s largest assistive technology conference.
Access to Work is a provider of financial support that ensures someone’s disability or health condition does not hold them back in the workplace. It also covers:
- Assistive technology;
- Workplace adaptations;
- Transport; and
- Interpreters.
The price of assistive technology
Before Access to Work, medium and large employers had to pay a mandatory contribution towards the cost of assistive technology required by their disabled employees.
Now, in order for disabled people to benefit from the latest technological advances, this cost will be waived for all the employers under the Tech Fund.
Breaking down barriers
Newton said: “We know that assistive technology has the power to transform lives, helping to break down the barriers disabled people can face at work and so many other areas of their everyday lives.
“Access to Work is providing support to disabled people across the country, and I hope that through the new Tech Fund more disabled people and their employers will be able to benefit from advances in assistive technology that can help create more inclusive workplaces.”
Saving money for employers
With the Tech Fund, employers will be able to save a substantial amount of money. Before the rules were introduced, medium employers had to pay the first £500 (~€568) towards technological solutions, while large employers paid the first £1,000, with both paying 20% of the cost thereafter up to £10,000.
There are over 3.4 million disabled people in employment and, according to the charity Scope, just a 10% rise in the employment rate amongst disabled adults would contribute an extra £12bn to the exchequer by 2030.
