Prospectus promotes disfigurement awareness

Mon, 30 Nov 2009

Not-for-profit recruiter Prospectus has signed up to Changing Faces’ Face Equality at Work membership scheme, which aims to raise awareness, challenge perceptions and target discrimination against people with facial disfigurements in the workplace.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) it is illegal to discriminate against someone with a severe disfigurement but many people with disfigurements have told Changing Faces that too often they are made to feel undervalued, abnormal and ‘different’ in the workplace.

Through the Face Equality at Work scheme, employers are encouraged to make a commitment to create a culture of ‘facial equality’, helping to overcome the effects of deep-rooted, often unspoken prejudices that may take place at work. 

Prospectus chief executive David Gold says: “The charity sector exists to promote an inclusive, supportive and non-judgemental society. Our aim is to reflect this through our work with our clients, ensuring equal opportunities for all.   But sometimes we need to reflect on how well we are achieving this.  The Face Equality campaign encourages us to challenge our perceptions of people with facial disfigurements, helping to ensure there is a genuinely inclusive environment in the workplace.”