Students with disabilities get a career boost

A new website aims to help them through the graduate application process and into a top job

In the UK, nearly one in 10 university students classes themselves as having a disability, but in 2012 only 2% of graduate job applications came from those with disabilities.

Greatwithdisability.com is a new website aimed at closing that gap, by offering advice and support to students, and a recruitment platform to employers.

“A website like this is a one stop shop to answer all of a disabled graduate’s questions,” says Dan Smith, who lost his vision 15 months ago over the course of two weeks. “Questions as simple as: ‘I’ve got the job now, can I have an orientation around the building?’ That was something I asked for in my current job.”

At the launch of the website, held at Barclays HQ in London, students shared their experiences and had the opportunity to meet graduate recruiters from top companies.

The site offers practical advice to students – how do you describe your disability? at what point in the application process is it suitable to do so? – and provides a platform for disability-aware recruiters to meet talented students.

It was founded by Helen Cooke, who thought the gap between students identifying themselves as having a disability and those going for jobs was “not good enough”.

She says: “It’s not only an utter waste of an individual’s talent, but firms are also missing out on talented individuals who could make a difference to their organisation. We want to be to disabled students and employers what Ebay is to buyers and sellers.”

The website is sponsored by Barclays, EY and EDF Energy, as well as Cooke’s own company, My Plus Consulting.

Rosie Mackay, a student recruitment officer at EY, says: “[Working on the website] has helped us to become much more disability-confident. It has made us understand what students perceptions are of employers, and that we need to be shouting louder about the support we offer for applicants with disabilities.”

Robin Spurrell, a graduate in international relations and politics with a masters in dispute and conflict resolution, says that his visual impairment has not been an issue in his job applications.

“No one has really said anything and I’ve always been very open and confident about it.”

For students who may not be so confident about their disability, or who may be going through a recent diagnosis, Spurrell advises: “Just keep trying. A lot of people might perceive that you can’t do something, or can’t apply to a certain job, whereas in reality there is often a lot of support available.”

If you’re a student thinking about applying for graduate jobs, Greatwithdisability.com is a source for inspiring stories. James Gower, a BSc graduate in mathematics, now works as a consultant IT adviser at EY.

“I have cerebral palsy and went through the recruitment process a few years ago. I think it’s important to be positive in your application – a disability can be a strength, but a lot of people with a disability don’t see it as such.

“As recruiters we want people to showcase what they can bring to an organisation, and that can be a disability. A disability allows you to view the world in a slightly different way.”

Philip Quinn, director of student support services at the University of York, says: “We need role models in organisations, but we need to be authentic. You’ve got to give real examples.

“Students I have talked to over the past 15 years say they don’t want a free pass, they don’t want to be let in on the diversity card, they just want to be let in on the talent they can bring to an organisation.”