A Workforce for All - The Disability (Employment) Act 1944
The story of empowerment is often the story of the laws established to secure rights. Learn how the LPTB set about turning this piece of legislation into action for its workforce
Report to the Board outlining the main requirements of the Disability Act 1944 (1946-03-07)TfL Corporate Archives
Rethink About The Employment of 'Disabled Persons'
After the outbreak of WWII, an Interim Scheme for the training and resettlement of disabled persons in 1941 by The Ministry of Labour and National Service, stated that "a large increase in the number of disabled men and women is one of the inevitable results of war."
It set out the requirement for a register of disabled persons and a quota for companies employing more than 20 people to employ disabled persons as a 'standard percentage’ of their workforce, initially set at 2% and later extended to 3%
The Act enshrined the rights of the individual to choose whether they registered as disabled
Statement showing estimated number of staff by region and resulting 4% quota (1946-08-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Nationwide percentages of ‘registered disabled persons’, by region, as at 15 April 1946
Report on the constitution and responsibilities of Disablement Advisory Committees (1945-07-11)TfL Corporate Archives
Disablement Advisory Committees
One of the requirements of the Act was to establish oversight committees to review applications for inclusion to the register of disabled persons, judge on appeals from employers to reduce their quotas, and report on allegations of unfair dismissal
"Persons who ... are qualified to advise on the problem..."
Committees were to be made up of a Local Authority representative, a medical practitioner, those with a military service record, and at least 2 women. Sadly the inclusion of anyone subject to the act wasn't considered
The choice to register as disabled may have been the right of the individual but there was often pressure, or "encouragement" from employers to register. If the LPTB fell short of the 3% target, the Minister of Labour or the Local Authority could allocate "outsiders."
The LPTB's preference was for finding alternative employment for existing staff over "outsiders."
Particulars of registered disabled persons (1950-01-24)TfL Corporate Archives
This redacted 1950 return originally included staff member's name, station or work location, and nature of disability. In July 1950 there were over 3121 staff registered working for the LPTB out of a total workforce of 99,287 just above the 3% target
Designated Employment Scheme request for exemption for liftmen (1946-10-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Achieving the quota was often made more difficult by department requests for role exemptions - as in this case from the role of lift attendant
Quota targets for the Railway Operating Department (1947-02-04)TfL Corporate Archives
Or requests for people with a "slight degree of disability."
Application for entry of name in register of disabled persons (1959-02-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Disability Act Medical Certificate
These were to be completed by a medical officer to certify an employees ability or not to complete their existing employment
By the late 1950s, as the LPTB were struggling to meet their quota, there were processes in place to assist staff to register. Notices explaining that medical appointments for certification can be done in work time became common
Much of the surviving evidence in the collection gives the impression of an organisation managing the administration of the Act, working out the mechanics of how to achieve quotas, fitting requirements around established processes, and looking for exceptions, rather than seeing the Act as an opportunity for culture change.
The Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 was a key milestone on our journey to a workplace for everyone, but it left quite a way to travel in the following 80 years.
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
