BBC announces 4% disabled staff target

The BBC has set a target for 4% of BBC staff to be disabled people by the end of 2007.
Currently just under 800 BBC staff, or 2.7%, have declared a disability.
10.1% of the population has a disability and is economically active or seeking employment.
The new targets are in line with the timeframes to achieve current targets for the representation of ethnic minority staff in the BBC.
BBC People Director Stephen Dando, announcing the targets, said: "Setting targets on disability demonstrates our commitment to making real and sustained progress on this front, and puts the BBC in a stronger position to fully engage and meet the needs and expectations of all licence fee payers, including disabled people.
"These targets also show our commitment to making progress across diversity, and not just on ethnicity, which has been the focus of much of our activity to date."
The BBC, together with Channel 4 and ITV, announced last month that they would be making Audio Description available via digital satellite television.
Recent research by BBC Strategy also supports the link between improved portrayal of disabled audiences on air and the employment of disabled staff.
Carolyn Fairbairn, the BBC's Disability Champion, and Director of Strategy and Distribution, said: "The BBC is missing out on a large pool of talent and expertise with the current levels of under-representation of disabled people in the workforce and in our output.
"There is a strong business case for employing more disabled people, and this target will focus us in the way that ethnic minority staff targets already have, driving us to be more representative of the audiences that we serve."
As part of the action plan and drive to achieve the target across its divisions, the BBC will review its approach to meeting the likely increased demand for access support for more disabled people.
The corporation also intends to monitor existing staff levels through ongoing disability audits over the next two years.
Each element of its current recruitment and retention strategy will also be analysed in order to target disabled recruits more effectively; as well as providing more support and guidance for managers.
(GB)