Disability organisations have written to the government to say they are “deeply concerned” that a generation of disabled young people will be left behind due to the coronavirus economic crisis.

A coalition of nine organisations, led by the National Deaf Children’s Society, has asked for changes to the government’s Plan for Jobs to avoid a looming unemployment crisis among disabled young people aged 16 to 25.

The group says that, without the changes, the double disadvantage of disability discrimination and a huge increase in competition for jobs caused by Covid-19 will leave the UK’s 500,000-plus disabled young people struggling to get employment.

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In a letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak, work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey, education secretary Gavin Williamson and minister for women and equalities Liz Truss, the group say: “The economic crisis caused by Covid-19 leaves us deeply concerned that a generation of disabled young people will be left behind.”

Coronavirus: Unemployment fears for disabled young people

Signatories of the letter include Thomas Pocklington Trust, Disability Rights UK, Genius Within, Leonard Cheshire, the National Development Team for Inclusion, Natspec, the Institute for Employment Studies and the Council for Disabled Children.

Among eight suggested changes, they want to see the Kickstarter Scheme expanded, careers advisers trained to work with disabled people and online job searching made more accessible.

They are also calling for the number of disability employment advisers to be doubled and the £1,000 incentive for businesses taking on apprentices to be extended to all disabled young people, rather than just those with education, health and care plans.

Steve Haines, director of policy and campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “The government’s efforts to get young people into work are very promising, but we’re extremely concerned that those who are disabled will still struggle to access jobs.

“There’s a generation of potential available and the government has the chance to unlock it, but unless changes are made to the Plan for Jobs, hundreds of thousands of disabled young people will face years of being left behind.

“They already battle discrimination throughout their lives and often find it harder to gain employment, so we cannot risk the gap getting any wider.

“The changes we’re proposing will mean the government can build on the progress it has already made and give every disabled young person the chance to show what they can do.”