A FIFTH of managers say they would be less likely to employ a disabled person, believing that they would struggle to do the job, a charity has found.

A further three out of five expressed concern about the cost of employing a disabled person, while one in four said that ensuring the accessibility of the interview process was a “barrier.”

The Leonard Cheshire Disability charity, which undertook the survey of 500 employers, said disabled people can face “barrier after barrier” due to attitudes that have no basis in fact.

Chief executive Neil Heslop said: “Given the chance and the right support, we know disabled people flourish, making huge contributions to the success of companies and the UK economy as a whole.”

Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip said: “If the interview is not accessible, then the workplace is probably not.

“There must be hundreds and thousands of workplaces that are not accessible, as they have steps or the toilets are not accessible.”

The government has made cuts to Access to Work funding, which pays for practical support for disabled people in employment, she added.