JULY 9: A new web-based Disability Awareness Training course was launched yesterday by local charity Working for Opportunities with support from Zurich.

Between now and the end of the year Working For Opportunities are offering a £1 donation to Swindon Cares for every course booking.

Working for Opportunities - who aim to match disabled people in Swindon to work opportunities - realised that disability equality training courses needed a fresh approach to appeal to local employers.

With no time for day long courses and training budgets being squeezed, an easily-accessible, value-for-money educational programme was needed to combat some of the barriers that could be preventing employers from tapping into a rich labour pool.

Research shows that there are more than one million disabled people who want to work yet almost 70% of businesses are experiencing recruitment difficulties. And a disabled person will find it five times harder to gain employment.

Changing the attitudes of people in general and more particularly of those responsible for recruitment and retention was key to the development of Webequality.

Created by Leslie Courtis, who is herself registered disabled, with support from Zurich's IT department, the three hour, web-based training course covers the relevant bits of the disability discrimination act, barriers to inclusion and disability etiquette.

At just £20 per person for companies with up to 20 employees, or £15 per person for companies with more than 21 employees, the modular training package is affordable, and can be broken down into bite-size sections. The course is available free of charge to anyone with a disability.

Zurich has already signed up to 1200 places for its managers as part of a wider plan to raise awareness of diversity issues. Chief Executive of Zurich's Life business, Lawrence Churchill, who hosted

yesterdays launch comments:

" As employers we have a legal responsibility not to discriminate and if we are to make a meaningful change it is vital we change mindsets to see the ability - not the disability"

Click this link www.webequality.org.uk to visit the web site.