Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP Allan Dorans has officially been registered as a Disability Confident Committed Employer after attending a workshop on June 9 hosted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the All-Party Disability Group (APPG).

By doing so, the MP has signalled his commitment to making his offices both in parliament and in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock accessible and welcoming to disabled people and to ensuring that no barriers stand in the way of potential.

This workshop was attended by over 100 parliamentarians and featured addresses from the Minister for Disability Justin Tomlinson MP and the Chair of the All-Party Disability Group Dr Lisa Cameron MP.

It was organised by the Disability APPG after research from Leonard Cheshire found that 26 per cent of all working disabled people have been unable to return to work since the early days of the pandemic with 71 per cent of those with a disability who were employed in March 2020 reporting being negatively impacted by a loss of income, furlough or unemployment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Allan Dorans MP said: “I was delighted to attend this workshop and to now be registered as a Disability Confident Committed Employer. In the run up to Learning Disability Week 2021 (June 14-20 ) it is especially vital that we do everything we can to support those with a disability into employment to ensure that they get the employment opportunities they deserve.

“Now more than ever it is important that we support disabled people to ensure that they are at the heart of the economic recovery out of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I hope that my registering as a Disability Confident Employer shows my commitment to achieving this goal and also making Westminster more inclusive.”