About us

Who are we?
Employment Opportunities is the national charity dedicated to creating routes into employment for people with all disabilities and medical conditions.

Founded in 1980 by ten City of London employers, we now have local centres across Britain plus a head office in the City.

Our vision is of a society where the full potential of people with disabling conditions is recognised in every workplace.

What do we do?
We work nationally and locally with many groups, from people with all disabilities and medical conditions, employers and employers’ groups, to government agencies, training establishments and university careers services.

Employment Opportunities provides a wide range of tailor made services for people with disabilities, to build confidence and develop skills. We also deliver a variety of employment programmes, such as New Deal for Disabled People, Work Preparation and WORKSTEP, as well as a range of graduate recruitment services for students and graduates.

We also undertake policy research, and work to influence national government and health, education and employment bodies to provide positive approaches to inclusion and diversity in employment.

Who do we help?
In a typical year, the charity helps around 2000 people with over 150 conditions, both physical and mental, into work.

In 2005, for the fourth consecutive year, the largest disability group among our clients was those with mental health conditions. Depression was the biggest specific disability, accounting for 18% of the people we helped.

Over 40% of our service users are aged between 41 -55.

25% of our clients have been unemployed for over 3 years, with a further 24% out of work for one year or less.

Around 30% of our staff have a declared disability.

Annual Reviews
For more information about Employment Opportunities, read our Annual Reviews, featuring the real stories of just a few of the 2000 people with over 150 different disabilities whose lives we have helped to transform, through our regional centres across Britain and through our unique graduate programme.
Annual Review 2004
Annual Review 2005