Employment remains one of the most persistent areas of inequality facing disabled people, and it was this question that shaped this year’s APPG for Assistive and Accessible Technology Annual Reception. The event was held at Portcullis House, Westminster, on Tuesday 2 June 2026, hosted by Policy Connect and chaired by Josh Fenton-Glynn MP. It brought together policymakers, parliamentarians, assistive technology providers, practitioners, and people with lived experience, all considering how disabled people can use technology to thrive in the workplace.
The Employment Gap
The context framing the discussions was significant. Just over half of disabled people are currently in employment, compared to more than four in five non-disabled people. Disabled workers are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled workers, and disabled people in work earn on average around 14 percent less than the national average. Debbie Abrahams MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, described this position as absolutely unacceptable, referencing the Committee’s recent report ‘Disability at Work’, which recommended that employers be given clear time limits to respond to requests for reasonable adjustments (proposed at two weeks), and that all new employees be made aware of the rights of disabled people from the start of their employment.
Kieran’s Story
The most memorable contribution came from Kieran Gellard, a graduate of The Oaks Specialist College who now works permanently at Tesco. Kieran spoke about how the accessibility features already on his smartphone enabled him to do his job, from reading product labels on shelves to navigating the Tesco employee app. Perhaps most striking was that during his job interview, Kieran took the initiative to teach his interviewers how his technology worked. It was a compelling illustration of confidence, self-advocacy, and the transformative potential of technology that is already in people’s hands. As Libby Wilkins, Assistant Principal: Accessibility and Digital Applications at The Oaks, reflected, the goal was never simply about finding a job, but about enabling young people to have genuine choice over their futures.
Government Commitments
Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability, addressed the reception and acknowledged the persistent challenges facing disabled people in the labour market. He confirmed that the government will recruit an additional 500 staff to the Access to Work scheme, with a commitment to clear the existing backlog of applications and payments by September next year. He also announced a call for evidence on assistive technology, to be launched later this year, which will draw on input from across the ATech community to inform cross-government policy. A GOV.UK resource on assistive and accessible technology, titled ‘Using assistive and accessible technology (ATech)’, is now live, covering types of ATech, costs, legal rights, and how to get an assessment or purchase equipment. It is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-assistive-and-accessible-technology-atech
What Comes Next
Robert McLaren, Director of the ATech Policy Lab at Policy Connect, closed by outlining the APPG’s next steps. These include regional pilots in the South East and Midlands to embed assistive technology into Connect to Work schemes, a session on SEND reforms and the role of ATech, and forthcoming papers on communication devices and their funding, accessible smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and the upskilling of the social care workforce. Robert emphasised that the APPG’s ambition extends beyond employment, seeking to join up ATech policy across all areas of life.
I was glad to represent the Karten Network at this event and to have the opportunity to speak with a number of attendees about the Network’s work. Those conversations were a useful reminder of the challenges practitioners and organisations are still facing day to day, and of why the Karten Network’s perspective has a place in these discussions.
Martin Pistorius
Karten Network Technology Advisor
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