Four out of five of Britain’s employers believe they should make every effort to employ disabled people but many are put off by politically correct “language of disability”.

A survey conducted for provider of employment services for disabled people Remploy, shows that more than three-quarters of employers believe firms and organisations, independent of the government, should work toward creating a diverse workplace.

However, researchers found there are misunderstanding about the language used to describe disability, particularly around the desire to be politically correct and not to cause offence. Focus group interviews found they believed the issue was a barrier to employing disabled people. One told researchers: “The ballpark is always moving as are the words that I can say. You don’t say that someone is blind, you say visually impaired.”

Researchers also found that one of the main reasons given by businesses for not employing more people with disabilities was that disabled people did not apply for jobs.

There was widespread agreement that disabled people are capable of performing most jobs although a few areas, such as construction and the fire service, were not thought suitable.

Beth Carruthers of Remploy said: “The survey shows very clearly that employers recognise the talents and skills disabled people can bring to the workplace.

“The important thing is not the language used to describe disability but that disabled people receive the same respect and opportunities as non-disabled people. The research also shows how disabled people can benefit from job coaching and assistance with writing CVs and interviews.”