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About Us
About USEL – Disability Employment Support Northern Ireland
We are Northern Ireland's leading provider of employment services for individuals with disabilities or health conditions. Established in 1962, our mission is to empower people to achieve their full potential by providing access to employment, training, and support services.
We are an arm's-length body of the Department for Communities, committed to promoting equality and reducing health inequalities through community engagement and support.
Legislative Basis
Ulster Supported Employment Limited (Usel) is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and operates under the direction of the Department for Communities (DfC). USEL’s governance framework is founded on the Partnership Agreement signed with the Department for Communities (DfC) in April 2025
Our History and Mission
USEL was established in 1962 to fulfil an act of Parliament to provide supported paid employment for disabled people and in 1980 the Company expanded through the acquisition of the Workshops for the Blind (The Belfast Association for the Employment of the Industrious Blind) to become the largest employer of disabled people within Northern Ireland.
At the time of the merger the Workshops for the Blind had been providing employment only for people with vision impairment as it had always done since it was established in 1871.