Only 23 per cent of disabled people who wanted to work were in work right now, compared with about 70 per cent of non-disabled people, he said. “The participation rate is very low among disabled people already, so it is not as if we have got a lot to lose. But I think potentially we do have some things to lose.” Ross Giblin/Stuff “No business can afford to lose the competitive edge that employing a disabled person might bring,” says Jonathan Mosen. Taking the human element out could make job applications even more difficult for people with disabilities. “We encourage disabled people to go into that job interview and if they can read the signs they can say: I know you have questions about how I could do this job with my particular impairment, I would love the opportunity to talk that through with you if you would not mind.