Who are Mencap's Job Squad?

A Kitchen Porter. A School Support Assistant. A supermarket worker. A Hotel Ambassador. A restaurant Team Member. A long‑serving Customer Assistant - 6 people with a learning disability who are proud of their jobs share their stories.

Mencap's Job Squad are using their experiences to challenge assumptions about what people with a learning disability can do at work, and to show the value of supportive, inclusive workplaces. 

80%

of employers believe people with a learning disability can be productive at work, yet 48% employ none.

37%

of employers cite health and safety concerns as a barrier to employing someone with a learning disability

30%

of employers worry about saying or doing the wrong thing when employing someone with a learning disability

23%

of employers say they don't know what adjustments to make for people with a learning disability

53%

of employers say adjustments for people with a learning disability are not expensive

69%

of employers say adjustments for people with a learning disability are straightforward with the right support

A Mencap survey of more than 1,600 UK employers, conducted by Survation 

Job Squad articles

Jon Sparkes OBE

Thu, 22/10/2026

What The Experiment on Channel 4 proved

Channel 4's The Experiment, exposes just how poorly understood disabled people…

By Mencap

Wed, 17/06/2026

Janis: How I got a job as a...

Janis is a member of Mencap's Job Squad and we recently caught up with her to…

By Mencap

Tue, 16/06/2026

Arjhay: How I got a job as a...

Arjhay 22, has learning disabilities and is currently in a paid job as a Front…

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What stops employers giving jobs to people with a learning disability?

A new survey has found that employers in the UK are afraid they might get things wrong, so they do not give jobs to people with a learning disability.

8 out of 10 employers think that people with a learning disability can work hard and be good at their job. But about 5 out of 10 employers do not have someone with a learning disability working for them.

See our Easy Read about what is stopping employers giving jobs to people with a learning disability.

Questions and answers

Mencap's Job Squad are 6 people with a learning disability who are proud of their jobs and proud to share their stories.

They’re using their experiences to challenge assumptions about what people with a learning disability can do at work, and to show the value of supportive, inclusive workplaces.

They are:

  • Aaron: A Kitchen Porter, in London who works full‑time. Aaron is hardworking and determined and says “A job gives you that feeling of accomplishment.”
  • Diviyha: A School Support Assistant in Surrey who supports children at the school she once attended. She says “We are so much more than our disability.”
  • Emily: A Supermarket Assistant in the Lake District who is growing in confidence in her first paid job. She says “My brain works a bit differently — and that helps me stay calm.”
  • Janis: A Customer Assistant in Cornwall who has been a valued Tesco colleague for 11 years. She says “Don’t underestimate our skills and capabilities.”
  • Xavie: A Lobby Ambassador in London who is a friendly face at the Hilton Kensington. He says “That made me feel very proud.”
  • Arjhay: A Team Member in London who is ambitious, determined and dreaming of becoming a manager . He says “It wasn’t easy for me to get a paid job.”

One way is to enroll in the Mencap Training Academy.

The Mencap Training Academy are an Ofsted 'Good'-rated provider of supported internships and pre-internships, which help young people who have an EHCP to find a job.

There are also programmes that can help people with a learning disability who don't have an EHCP find work, like Connect to Work. You can find Connect to Work services in your area by searching for them online.

Mencap is funded to deliver the Connect to Work programmes in north Staffordshire and the south London boroughs of Kingston, Merton and Sutton. You can find out about these programmes and other programmes we run to help people find a job at: https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment

Visit the Mencap Training Academy

With your support, more people with a learning disability can find jobs that give them confidence, independence and purpose.

Specialist support at the right time helps people build skills, prepare for work and feel equal in society.

Donate to Mencap today and help us open up more opportunities for people with a learning disability.

If your organisation would like to support people with a learning disability, please get in touch with our employment support team to explore potential partnerships with our programmes. Email: [email protected]

Donate

Usually yes, if you work more than 16 hours a week.

However, when on programmes like supported internships or Connect to Work, people with a learning disability can use the Better Off Calculator to work out if you could get paid more in work than on benefits like Universal Credit.

The Access to Work scheme can be used to help with the cost of things like transport, job coaches and assistive technology in the workplace and services like Connect to Work can also support people already in work to maintain employment.

Help more people get into work

With your support more people with a learning disability can find jobs that give them confidence and independence through the Mencap Training Academy (MTA) which offers supported internships and pre-internships to young people. 

Donate today Visit the MTA