A DAY of celebration is planned to mark the International Day of Disabled People in Blackburn on Monday.

The Mayor, Coun John Williams , will join employees and guests at the Remploy factory in Bank Top to mark the occasion.

The factory, where educational furniture is made, employs 81 people. Remploy is the largest employer of disabled people in the United Kingdom.

The firm has over 10,000 disabled staff on its books, 6,000 employed directly and 4,000 in work placements.

The celebration will coincide with the company's launch of their Making a Difference at Work Awards and two employers will receive accolades for their work during the day.

The awards recognise the contribution made at work by disabled people and go to employees who have made a difference in their places of employment by improving their own or other people's working lives.

The International Day of Disabled People was launched by the United Nations in 1992 to 'promote understanding about disability issues and to increase awareness of gains to be derived from integrating disabled people into all aspects of political, social, economic and social, economic and cultural life'.

At the celebration, Coun Williams will also launch Positive Employment: A Practical Guide to the Disability Discrimination Act.

The booklet provides an up-to-date interpretation of current legislation and offers clear and simple advice on how employers can meet their legal obligations.