Written by Andrew Roach, CEO of DEIversity Talent Management
The Missing Data
Whilst reading SUMO’s ‘Who’s Behind The Talent’ report, it struck me that there was no data regarding Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent (DDN) people. It led me to wonder if that was because no data was collected? Or wasn’t there sufficient data to report on?
Understanding the Numbers
Before I explore the answer to these questions, I think it’s important to have context.
Latest figures estimate that DDN people represent nearly 1 in 4 or 24% of the UK population which is 16.8 million. However, only 5 million DDN people are in work despite being the largest minority group in the UK. The employment rate of DDN people is 53% compared to 82% of non-disabled people. So DDN people are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed.
Barriers in the Talent Industry
The world of work is already an extremely challenging place for DDN people. If you add that talent agencies are traditionally dominated by non-disabled people, it’s probably safe to assume that when reporting on those working in this area that the number of those who identify as DDN are low.
The world of talent agenting can be an unrelenting one – it can be physically and mentally demanding – but I don’t think as an industry that we are doing a good enough job of being inclusive and diversifying the work force. In my experience, unconscious bias is prominent and there is too much virtue-signalling and performative allyship rather than the adoption of true inclusion.
Speaking from Experience
I also don’t know how comfortable DDN people feel about declaring their condition, which we must remember could be invisible, as it might be perceived as a sign of weakness. This is something I felt after being diagnosed with ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
In my earlier days of working in the industry following my diagnosis, I certainly wasn’t offered accommodations for my condition so I struggled on, trying to prove that I could do it which was detrimental to my physical and mental wellbeing.
Recognising the Value of DDN Professionals
The same way that DDN people work in film and tv production, as well as other areas of work, there is no reason why we shouldn’t welcome them with open arms into talent agencies.
People regularly underestimate DDN people and wrongly equate disability with inability rather than recognising that they come with skills and experience which would enrich workforce culture and improve efficiencies.
DDN people spend a lot of their time navigating an ableist world which isn’t designed for them so, as a result, they have fantastic problem-solving and organisational skills. They also have to be excellent administrators and communicators in order to navigate the benefits and care systems.
What better basic skillset does someone working for a talent agency need than one based on communication, problem-solving, organisation and administration!
Accessibility Is Non-Negotiable
Of course, we need to make places of work more accessible. There is no excuse in 2025 for offices not to be able to accommodate those with access requirements. Employers have a commitment to meet employees’ needs and for reasonable adjustments to be made under the Equality Act.
Put bluntly, if this isn’t being done, it’s discrimination.
We all managed to find a way to work in an accessible and agile manner during the Covid pandemic so it’s easily done. As one of my clients said at the time, “welcome to my world!” In other words, he was amused by the fact that non-disabled people were being faced with the same challenges that DDN people have faced for years, and continue to face.
The Importance of Purple Tuesday
Today is Purple Tuesday which can be used to mark a company’s commitment to start the journey of being more accessible and inclusive.
Its purpose is to promote the accessibility and inclusivity for DDN consumers and to draw attention to the fact that spending power of DDN people, their families and friends in this country is estimated to be £274 billion.
So not only is being accessible and inclusive the right thing to do morally and ethically, it also makes good business sense. It’s been proven that companies who embed DEI into everything they do are better places to work, their employees are happier and more productive, and their profit increases.
Closing the Disability Pay Gap
It’s also important to recognise that Purple Tuesday is in line with Disability Pay Gap Day. It is estimated that on average DDN people stop being paid at the beginning of November which means they are paid what equates to 2 months less per year in comparison to their non-disabled counterparts.
A Call to Action
The solution? It really is this simple: employ DDN people to do the jobs which they are willing, able and available to do.
Let’s make it our mission as an industry to ensure that by the time SUMO releases its next Who’s Behind the Talent report, DDN professionals are part of the conversation.
