Disabled workers call for help with online study

NEWS An online research project was launched yesterday, one of the goals of which is to explore the viability of virtual call centres staffed by agents with disabilities. The Institute for Employment Studies, based at the University of Sussex, is coordinating the project, in conjunction with the teleworking association, TCA. The research is backed by Mitel and the Gulbenkian Foundation, and will see the former donate approximately 50p to the Leonard Cheshire Workability initiative for every online questionnaire completed. The survey - aimed at call centre managers - can be found at http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/surveys/vcc.html Alan Denbigh, executive director of the TCA, said: "We get thousands of calls every year from people in the UK asking about getting into this kind of work, and many are frustrated about not being able to do it. We're basically trying to match demand and supply." Areas covered by the survey include skills shortages, staff retention and the growth of virtual call centres, as well as possible roles for carers and the disabled in the industry. The Leonard Cheshire Workability initiative aims to provide up to 10,000 young disabled adults with Internet-enabled PCs, training them virtually and helping with job searches.