[Acrylic-bob]

>>Not wanting to pay for a disabled loo is pretty cummy excuse for continuing job discrimination. <<

Nothing to do with job discrimination mate, it's merely pragmatism. I would be more than happy to employ anyone who could load and unload a four deck oven with the speed that the job requires, but I am certainly not going to employ someone who cannot, that goes as much for the able bodied as it does for those who are disabled. Similarly, show me a blind person who can decorate a cake to the required standard or who is capable of demonstrating the ability to acquire the necessary skills and I would be more than happy to take them on. There might even be some free publicity available if I were able to do so.

But I somehow doubt that my customers would appreciate being told that their order was below standard because I have decided to be socially responsible and employ disabled bakery staff, nor indeed would they appreciate the fact that I was passing on to them the extra costs incurred as a result of my philanthropy.

It is right and proper that the able bodied among us have the responsibility of caring for those who, for whatever reason or to whatever degree, cannot look after themselves. I have absolutley no argument with this. This costs money, a lot of money! I think that the least that social engineering busy-bodies in Whitehall and Brussels could do is keep out of the damn way while we get on with task of making it, instead of hobbling us at every turn with reams of uneccessary regulation. If I hear just one more environmental health officer attempt to lecture me on changes to fridge temperature guidlines implemented and revised and re-revised by ar**holes in Brussels, I swear I will do someone a mischief.

Should someone who is disabled feel the need to contribute towards the effort or exercise some independence, well, I think that would be wonderful and should be encouraged, provided that they can do the job to the same level of competance as anyone else, otherwise that makes them more expensive to employ and I have never seen the point of keeping a dog and barking yourself. In an ideal world the consideration of expense would be of trivial importance, but we do not live in an ideal world, it is hard and often unfair and costs are a very real and pressing consideration for many employers. If employers can no longer afford to employ folk then it's "Hello Recession!" and we are all up the creek without a paddle.