NRAS backs Scope’s Work Without Barriers campaign for workplace equality09 July 2026 NRAS has joined Scope and a coalition of charities in calling on the Government to make disability pay gap reporting mandatory and remove the barriers that push disabled people out of work. NRAS has signed Scope’s open letter to Government as part of the Work Without Barriers campaign. The campaign calls for urgent action so that disabled people who can and want to work are not held back by unfair and unnecessary barriers. At NRAS we know that many people living with rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis want to join or stay in work, progress in their careers and use their skills. But fluctuating symptoms, fatigue, pain, inaccessible workplaces, negative attitudes and delays in reasonable adjustments can make this much harder than it should be to get in or stay in the workplace. Scope’s campaign highlights that disabled people face barriers at every stage of working life. Too many are underestimated, overlooked or denied the support and adjustments they are entitled to. Disabled workers also move out of work at nearly twice the rate of non-disabled workers, while the disability employment gap has remained around 30 percentage points for more than a decade. This campaign is not about blaming disabled people or treating benefits as the problem. It is about tackling the barriers that lock disabled people out of work and making workplaces fairer, more inclusive and more accountable. What the open letter calls for Bring forward the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill and give it parliamentary time so it can be passed into law. Make disability pay gap reporting mandatory for large employers. Require employers to publish disability workforce data so inequalities can be identified and addressed. Use pay gap reporting to drive action, improve accountability and help employers retain disabled talent. Take further steps to improve access to timely and effective reasonable adjustments. Implement practical recommendations to make workplaces more inclusive for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis are long-term autoimmune conditions that can affect every aspect of daily life, including work. Symptoms can fluctuate and may be invisible to others, which means people can face misunderstanding, stigma or a lack of practical support at work. For people with inflammatory arthritis, reasonable adjustments can be essential. Flexible working, adapted duties, time off for medical appointments, changes to equipment or working patterns, and supportive line management can make the difference between staying in work and being forced to reduce hours, change roles or leave employment altogether. NRAS supports the call for the Government to keep its promise and bring the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill onto the parliamentary agenda as soon as possible. Publishing disability pay gap and workforce data should not be a tick-box exercise. It should be a tool for transparency, accountability and practical change. We also encourage employers to listen to disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, improve understanding of fluctuating and invisible conditions, and ensure reasonable adjustments are discussed and put in place without unnecessary delay. Join in the movement Scope is inviting campaigners, disabled people, allies and organisations to add their names to the open letter and support the call for fairer workplaces. To add your name to the campaign, please see here: Sign the open letter. We want to see a future where people with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other long-term conditions are supported, valued and able to thrive at work.