Author - Lise Austen, Employers’ Club Manager, MyPlus
With 33% of UK university home students predicted to have a disability by 2033 and 18% of all current students in UK universities having a disability, organisations looking to employ top early years talent need to ensure they are considering how to attract disabled students if they don’t want to miss out on a significant portion of the talent pool.
The importance of your website in creating the right first impression
Key to your early years recruitment strategy is to understand how attractive you are as a potential employer for a disabled student. One of the first things any student will do when researching internships, placements, apprenticeships or graduate jobs is to find out more about the employer. 48% will look at your website and if the student has a disability, they will be looking for specifics that relate to your approach to employees with disabilities and how inclusive you are.
Reviewing your company website from a disabled student perspective
To understand how welcoming your website feels to disabled students, especially those exploring early careers, review it with disability inclusion in mind. MyPlus recommends:
Ask disabled employees or your Disability Network to help review the site for honest feedback.
View key pages (Home, About Us, Careers, Early Careers) through the lens of a disabled visitor; do they feel welcoming?
Check for visible mentions of disability on your DE&I page and throughout relevant sections.
Is there senior leadership support including quotes, videos, or visible commitments to disability inclusion?
Are job descriptions inclusive and provide guidance for disabled applicants?
Are there disabled interns, trainees, and employees included in any employee stories that have been shared?
How to make your website Early Careers pages attractive to disabled students
To help disabled students feel confident applying, MyPlus recommends including the following on your Early Careers pages:
Clearly state your commitment to disability inclusion, linking to your main DE&I content.
Feature a quote or short video on disability inclusion from your DE&I lead or Head of Early Careers.
Highlight your Disability Network and any Senior Disability Champion, with links or quotes.
Share stories from disabled interns, trainees, and employees to reflect real experiences and career progression.
Link to disability-related blogs, events, or awareness days you support.
Include logos for any diversity awards or external partnerships.
Clearly explain the availability of support and adjustments and mention that mitigating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
Provide a named contact for questions or adjustment requests, with email and phone details.
Reviewing and updating the Careers Web pages on your company website is just one of the recommendations MyPlus would advise as part of your strategy to attract disabled students. All other touch points such as your social media, Marketing/Engagement events, Campus Ambassador Teams, Company representatives, Adverts with third parties etc. should also be included.
MyPlus would also advise that as part of the process of reviewing your website you also consider how accessible it is.
For further information about MyPlus and how we work with employers to enable them to confidently attract, recruit, support and develop disabled students email info@myplusconsulting.com.
