Ableism

What is ableism?

Ableism is discrimination and prejudice against disabled people, people with chronic conditions and neurodivergent people, based on the belief that they are "less capable". It shows up in language, hiring and promotion decisions, policies and even in how an office, website or work tool is designed.

Ableism is not always open hostility. Often it looks like "care" that limits people: not offering someone a demanding project because "it will be too hard", or deciding for them what they can handle. Like ageism, it is often driven by unconscious bias.

Types of ableism

Examples of ableism at work

• A job ad asks for "excellent health" or "high stress tolerance" when the role does not need it.
• Interviews take place in an office with no step-free access, or an online test does not work with screen readers.
• An employee is refused flexible hours or remote work even though the role allows it.
• Colleagues discuss someone's health behind their back or make jokes about disability.
• Performance reviews focus on "energy" and office presence rather than results.

Inclusive language

Preferences differ: many people in the UK prefer identity-first language ("disabled people"), while others prefer person-first language. When in doubt, ask the person how they describe themselves.

How to prevent ableism in your company

1. Review hiring. Keep only requirements the job really needs, offer accessible interview formats and use a structured interview with the same criteria for everyone.
2. Set up reasonable adjustments. Write down a clear process for requesting changes to the workplace, schedule or tools, with response times.
3. Make things accessible. Offices, internal documents, websites and training materials should work for people with different needs.
4. Train your teams. Sensitivity training and sessions on unconscious bias help people spot ableism in everyday decisions.
5. Offer a safe channel. Employees should know where to report discrimination anonymously without fear of retaliation. This is the basis of psychological safety.
6. Measure inclusion. Regular anonymous surveys show whether people feel part of the team and feed into your DEI policy.

Ableism and UK law

Disability is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments (section 20) so that disabled employees and candidates are not put at a substantial disadvantage, and they must not treat someone unfavourably because of something arising from their disability (section 15). Section 60 also restricts asking health questions before a job offer is made. The government's Access to Work scheme can fund support such as specialist equipment, travel or a support worker.

PeopleForce helps make HR processes fair for everyone. In Recruit, every candidate goes through the same stages and interviewers assess skills against shared criteria in interview scorecards. With request forms in Core HR, an employee can ask for a reasonable adjustment, such as a different schedule or equipment, and the request goes to the right approvers. Anonymous surveys in Pulse show whether people feel included, and Safe Speak in Desk lets employees report discrimination anonymously.