People with a disability are more likely to be poor and depend on social welfare for their income, a new report has revealed.

The report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) looks at the educational and employment experiences of people in Ireland with disabilities. The findings are based on a survey of thousands of people with disabilities, including over 7,000 people of working age.

It states that one of the main reasons people with disabilities are more economically disadvantaged is because of the difficulties they have getting, or retaining, a job.

Since education has such a major role to play in determining a person's job, the report emphasises that people affected by their disability since childhood can face particular challenges.

In fact, those affected during their school years are less likely to complete school than their peers without disabilities, and they tend to have lower levels of educational qualifications overall.

Almost one in six say they missed some time in school because of their disability, while almost one in seven admit that they left school earlier than they would have liked.

The report notes that at the time of the survey, 29% of people with disabilities were currently working and 56% had worked at some point. However, almost half said that they would be interested in working if the circumstances were right.

These circumstances included reduced hours, modified job tasks and accessibility modifications. One in four people said they would also need a wage subsidy.

According to one of the report's author, Dorothy Watson, these figures suggest ‘a high level of interest in employment among people with a disability'.

The highest level of unemployment was found among those with poor health, low stamina, or with an emotional, psychological or mental health (EPMH) disability. Those with intellectual disabilities also had a high rate of unemployment and this could often be linked to lower levels of education.

The report highlighted two specific challenges when it came to the employment of people with a disability. The first refers to those who have had a disability since childhood and the big challenge here is getting a first job. This is more likely to relate to younger adults.

The second affects those whose disability emerges later - these are more likely to have to leave work because of it. This scenario is more likely to relate to older adults.

The report suggests a number of different policy strategies to deal with this issue, including the provision of lifelong learning opportunities geared to the needs of people with disabilities and help for those who acquire a disability later in life to stay in work.

It also suggests income subsidies ‘to compensate for the extra costs of services and aids needed by people with a disability and to compensate for the reduced earning capacity linked to low levels of education or to the need for reduced working hours'.

"This research highlights the importance of a joined up approach to ensuring people with disabilities can access employment opportunities and pursue careers, an approach that crosses departmental boundaries to address education, employment supports, health supports, and incomes at work," commented Siobhan Barron, director of the National Disability Authority, which funded the report.

The report, Educational and Employment Experiences of People with a Disability in Ireland: An Analysis of the National Disability Survey, can be downloaded here