Digging a level playing field

By Paul Carter

Hard hats, JCBs and giant mounds of earth are not the immediate things that spring to mind when thinking of potential employment opportunities for disabled people.

However, with building work for the Olympic Park well under way, several initiatives are already taking place aimed at getting more disabled people involved in the construction and infrastructure of the Games.

As part of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) “diversity week”, an event was held at the Plant Training Centre in the north of the Olympic Park, inviting disabled people interested in gaining work in the construction industry to have a basic training session on operating digging equipment, and also to meet other disabled people already working on the Games.

Jonathan Shaw, minister for disabled people was in attendance to present the ODA with the disability symbol, more commonly referred to as the ‘two ticks’.

He told Disability Now that the Olympics and Paralympics had to be seen as a leading example of good practice in the labour market.

“It has to,” he said. “These opportunities don’t come up very often and we’ve got a chance for people to enjoy spectacular sport, whether that’s Olympics or Paralympics, and also to be a part of building the Games. That involves many different jobs and there are real opportunities for disabled people here.

Importantly, among the companies that are taking people on, is the opportunity to use the untapped pool of talent that there is out there.”

Tessa Jowell, minister for the Olympics, told Disability Now that the Paralympics had to be an “exemplar for others.”

She said: “The Olympics is the biggest infrastructure project in the country, but it’s only one project. I, and everybody involved, feel it should be an exemplar for others, addressing the barriers disabled people face in entering the industry, and engaging with employers.

“If we can do that there’s no reason why other big infrastructure projects cannot do the same.”

She also said that the Paralympics provided “unlimited opportunities” to further the equality agenda for disabled people, and to “reshape and educate” society’s attitudes.

“We are absolutely clear that we want the Paralympic Games to be a sporting festival that is of equivalence with the summer Olympic Games. That was one of the most important lessons from the Games in China – against all expectations they succeeded in achieving that. We, along with everybody else who reflected on the impact of the Games, were impressed by the legacy and lasting impact on the attitudes towards disabled people.”

Shaw said: “The more that disabled people are seen in employment and doing jobs, and the more regular and mainstream that becomes and not something that is a surprise or a bit unique – that’s equality.

“If the Olympics hadn’t come along we’d still have continued our work regardless. But as it’s come, then absolutely we should seize the opportunity it presents us in breaking down the barriers, whether that’s the physical or the attitudes. I’m very excited.”

Loraine Martins, head of equality, inclusion, employment and skills at the ODA said that a key part of London winning the bid was around diversity, and that the organisation had set an early objective of delivering “the most accessible and the most inclusive games ever.

“We’ve been very explicit about what we want to achieve, and that’s all in the public domain, so we don’t want to fail,” she said.

“I’m confident that the resources are there for us to do it, and I’m also confident that we’ve got the right processes and policies in place, so the next bit now is around delivery. That takes a little bit longer but I think we’re well placed to do some really good things.”

However, she conceded that there was still work to be done to ensure full inclusion for disabled people.

She said: “We set ourselves some benchmarks in the context of the construction industry. Our benchmark for disabled people on site is three per cent. We’re currently at one per cent, but we think that is partly as much about disclosure as it is about volume.

“I think we’re making progress, I genuinely do. When we speak to disabled people they’re telling us that it’s moving in the right direction, though I think there’s space to do more.

“The Games give us a real opportunity to leave some examples of really good practice that other organisations and companies, and in particular the construction industry can take forward for the future.”