The latest news on disability employment, workplace inclusion, and accessibility from around the world.
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The National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) Jobs Report shows that employment for working-age Americans with disabilities held near record levels in October 2026, with an employment-to-population ratio of 39.9 percent. Researchers suggest the sustained high employment may reflect more disabled people entering the labor market as families cope with inflation.
The UK work and pensions secretary visited Denmark to learn from its 'Fleksjobs' scheme, which provides subsidised part-time employment with dedicated support for people with reduced work capacity, achieving a disability employment rate increase from 44% to 61% since 2012. The UK government is considering similar approaches as disability-related unemployment among young people has risen significantly, with 45.3% of NEETs now classified as disabled compared to 21% in 2014.
The UK Work and Pensions Secretary discusses how young people with mental health conditions and neurodiversity should be supported into employment rather than remaining on benefits, citing Denmark's Fleksjob scheme as a model that enables disabled workers to remain employed with reduced hours and adjustments. The Government plans to introduce new legislation next year in response to reviews on disability benefits reform and youth employment.
A former Amazon warehouse worker is suing the company for allegedly firing her after years of approved disability accommodations when her medical restrictions became permanent. The case raises questions about employer obligations under the ADA and FMLA when accommodating workers with chronic disabilities.
UK Department for Work and Pensions figures show disabled people have a 53% employment rate compared to 82.4% for non-disabled people, representing a 29.4 percentage point employment gap that has worsened over the past year. The article analyzes whether this gap reflects actual barriers to employment or changes in how disability is defined in official statistics.
Seven in 10 working-age American caregivers balance paid employment with caring for loved ones with disabilities, chronic conditions or age-related needs, yet fewer than half inform their supervisors about these responsibilities. The Care Out Loud campaign is expanding support to address how caregiving affects employees' careers, financial security and wellbeing, highlighting caregiving as a workplace inclusion and retention issue.
The article examines how predictive algorithms in workers' compensation systems may overlook important human factors affecting injured workers' recovery and return to work, such as workplace support, job security concerns, and claims experience. Research shows that while statistical models have advantages, direct communication with injured workers can reveal circumstances—like supervisor contact, modified duty availability, and employer coordination—that significantly influence recovery outcomes but may not appear in claims data.
A Japanese study of 158 employed patients who underwent surgery for gastric or esophageal cancer found that 78.5% were working at 18 months post-surgery, with median return-to-work times of 30 days for gastric cancer and 70 days for esophageal cancer. The research identifies pain, appetite loss, financial impact, and weight loss at 6 months as significant barriers to sustained work participation, with implications for workplace accommodations and occupational health support.
Four Rivers Behavioral Health in Kentucky is participating in a Columbia University randomized controlled trial studying the effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment services for autistic adults seeking competitive employment. The study will recruit 174 autistic adults across four Kentucky sites and track employment outcomes over 18 months to compare IPS services with standard vocational rehabilitation.
A scoping review of 41 studies found that occupational therapy is a standard component of multidisciplinary rehabilitation for functional neurological disorder, a condition affecting working-age adults, but profession-specific interventions and outcomes were inconsistently documented. The review highlights gaps in evidence regarding occupational therapy's independent contribution to rehabilitation outcomes for this disabling neurological condition.
Government figures show spending on the UK's Access to Work scheme fell by nearly 7% in real terms from 2024-25 to 2025-26, while the number of recipients increased, resulting in a 12% drop in average payments per disabled worker. The Department for Work and Pensions attributes the apparent cut to accounting timing differences, but disabled campaigners report ongoing concerns about reduced support budgets and delays affecting disabled workers' ability to remain employed.
UK government disability employment figures show a 30 percentage point gap between disabled (53%) and non-disabled (82.4%) employment rates, with the annual figures revealing the gap actually increased from 26.8% to 28% year-on-year. Disability rights organizations call for a comprehensive national strategy including flexible job creation, adequate funding for support schemes, and employer accountability to close the persistent employment disadvantage faced by disabled people.
New federal Medicaid work requirements will affect nearly 2 million New Yorkers starting in 2027, with exemptions for students, the elderly, and the medically frail. The article details implementation timelines, documentation requirements, and how recipients can demonstrate compliance with the new work requirements.
Disability Rights UK responds to a UK government consultation on extending equal pay protections to disabled people, highlighting that disabled workers face a 15.5% pay gap and calling for stronger enforcement mechanisms and proactive measures beyond the current proposals. The organization urges mandatory disability pay gap reporting, enhanced pay transparency throughout employment, and adequate resourcing of a new Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit to tackle systemic pay discrimination.
The Milburn review recommends the UK government create and subsidize paid jobs for disabled young people through 'flexi-jobs', employment subsidies, and skills support to address high unemployment rates among disabled 16-24 year-olds. The review proposes adopting a Danish-style flexible employment scheme, job carving, and voluntary employer targets for hiring disabled youth, while suggesting disability benefit spending be redirected toward employment support.
The Inclusion in Awards 2026 recognised leaders, teams and organisations driving workplace inclusion across hospitality, travel, leisure and retail sectors, with specific awards for disability inclusion and social mobility initiatives. The event also raised £300,000 for Team Domenica, a charity supporting young people with learning disabilities into employment.
The article explains Expedited Reinstatement (EXR), a Social Security Administration program that allows disabled workers whose SSDI or SSI benefits ended due to work earnings to restart benefits within five years without a new application if they can no longer work. The program provides provisional benefits including cash payments and Medicare/Medicaid coverage for up to six months while the SSA reviews the request.
The article explains the VA's Individual Unemployability program, which provides compensation to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or higher (or 70% combined with one condition at 40%+) who cannot maintain employment. Eligible veterans can receive up to $3,938.58 monthly by demonstrating their disabilities prevent them from working, separate from traditional unemployment insurance.
UK government statistics show 5.6 million disabled people were employed in April-June 2026, with a 53% employment rate compared to 82.4% for non-disabled people, representing a 29.4 percentage point disability employment gap. The data reveals disabled people face higher rates of job loss, lower transition rates into employment, and are more likely to be underemployed or working in lower-skilled occupations.
The article argues that inclusive hiring of neurodivergent employees must extend beyond recruitment to workplace retention and progression, as many neurodivergent workers face barriers after being hired despite successful onboarding. It recommends practical workplace adjustments like advance meeting agendas, manager training, and workplace passports to create inclusive environments that benefit all employees.
The article explains Canada's disability benefits system, including federal programs like the Canada Disability Benefit and Canada Pension Plan Disability, provincial supports, and private insurance options available to disabled people. It outlines eligibility requirements and how to access various income replacement and support services for people with disabilities.
The article examines how workers' compensation technology systems may optimize for metrics like processing speed and cost savings while failing to serve injured workers' actual needs for appropriate treatment and return-to-work support. It discusses how misaligned incentives between employers, administrators, vendors and injured workers can result in systems that report success by narrow measures while workers experience delays and inadequate outcomes.
Physical Disability Australia's CEO criticizes the Australian Government's Disability Discrimination Act Issues Paper for lacking enforceable commitments and a reform timeline, arguing that decades of reviews have failed to deliver concrete protections for disabled people. PDA calls for a dated reform roadmap, enforceable positive duties, stronger regulatory enforcement, and meaningful involvement of disabled people in designing new disability rights legislation.
A former programs manager at an Ohio healthcare nonprofit is suing after allegedly being fired following reports of racial discrimination, while his disability accommodation renewal was pending with his doctor. The case involves claims that the organization failed to properly accommodate his medical conditions and used his disability-related medical appointments against him in a performance investigation.
Accenture Federal Services has secured a $74.8 million contract to manage the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program, which connects disability beneficiaries with employment support services. The contract includes operating the program's help line and websites, recruiting and monitoring employment networks, and providing beneficiary outreach and support.
The UK government has retained a five-year route to settlement for international care workers who arrived before May 12, 2025, rather than extending it to 15 years, recognizing their contribution during the pandemic. Disability organizations including Mencap and Care England welcomed the decision, noting that migrant care workers are essential to supporting disabled people with learning disabilities and other care needs.
An Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld the strike-out of disability discrimination and reasonable adjustment claims brought by a former NHS theatre nurse, ruling that the Employment Tribunal had acted lawfully after repeated failed attempts to clarify the claimant's case. The case establishes precedent on procedural compliance and case management in disability employment disputes.
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