OVO
We are proud to be members of Business Disability Forum.
BDF has supported us to make sure we make things easier and offer the right and best support to our people with long-term health conditions and disabilities.
The support from the Advice Line has been fantastic and the resources such as toolkits, webinars and online guidance makes it easy for our people to support our people who need some extra help to be their best at work.
This support led to us achieving Disability Confident Level 2 in 2023 and level 3 (Disability Confident Leader) in 2024 which shows our commitment to the hiring, development and retention of our people with disabilities and health conditions.
Louse Bailey – Belonging Lead
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Sainsbury’s
“As the Board Sponsor for Disability, Carers and Age at Sainsbury’s, I am proud of our long-standing partnership with the Business Disability Forum.
At Sainsbury’s, we want to be the most inclusive retailer where every single one of our colleagues can fulfil their potential, and all our customers feel welcome when they shop with us. We are committed to improving our accessibility in store and online, by creating new initiatives that will drive real change, now and in the future.
Our relationship with Business Disability Forum has been constructive in helping us to achieve these goals. I would encourage other businesses to get involved in this conversation and think about how they can become more inclusive”
Tim Fallowfield OBE, Company Secretary and Corporate Services Director, and Board Sponsor for Disability, Carers and Age, J Sainsbury plc
Unilever
Shell
“Disability inclusion and enablement is important to us at Royal Dutch Shell. We know that having inclusive ways of working for people with disabilities is vital for the well-being of our employees, and the success of our business.
Having the right global policies provides clarity and direction to our leaders, who in turn, can provide the right support so that everyone working in the company is able to contribute and thrive.
We partner with other organisations so that we can learn from them and improve our approach and policies. That is why our work with Business Disability Forum is so important.
It is by working together with BDF and other companies that we can help create a better work environment for all people with disabilities.”
Lyn Lee, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Shell
Lloyds Banking Group
“BDF is a wonderful organisation, and your level of insight into the experiences of disabled people at work is unparalleled in any organisation I’ve found.”
Kate Mulvany, Co-Chair, Disability and Wellbeing Network
Accenture
“It was really great meeting so many like-minded people working towards a common goal of maximising people’s potential who have a disability to be their best and raising awareness amongst those who don’t.”
Gary Haywood, Senior Partner, Accenture
Southeastern Railway
“Being a Member of BDF provides us with all the support we need to grow and take positive action. Through our membership, we work closely with our Account Manager who offers a wealth of experience, expertise, inspiration and resources. I highly recommend the annual HR policy reviews which provide a detailed report and much learning. There is a great opportunity for networking and I highly recommend their annual conferences. Thanks BDF for the ongoing support!”
Natalie Sparrow, Colleague Engagement & Inclusion Manager, Southeastern Railway
Tony Cates, former Vice Chair and Partner at KPMG UK:
Lambeth Council
“Before joining BDF, we were looking at ways in which to improve awareness of disability in the workplace both in terms of our workforce as well as in the services we commission for our residents. We are really impressed with the breadth of resources our membership of the BDF has presented. These include regular dialogue with our account manager and a senior level meeting with BDF’s chief executive and one of our Directors in Resident Services. We have taken the opportunity for one of our customer services managers to engage with assisting with the BDF’s Inclusive Communications Toolkit.
Colleagues also participate in learning activities such as the excellent Vessela Leiper, Chair of the Disability Staff Forum at Lambeth Council who said: ‘I am delighted that the Council is subscribing to the Business Disability Forum. This offers valuable assistance to line managers who often need extra support to better understand some of the issues affecting disabled staff.’
Membership of BDF also helps us on our journey to achieve Disability Confident Leader status – the highest level accredited status in addition to supporting our equality, diversity and inclusion goals. I am already seeing the benefits of our membership of BDF helping to us to be an inclusive council and helping us to recruit and retain the best staff and deliver the best possible services to our residents.”
Karl Livingston, HR Organisation Development and Learning Manager, Lambeth Council
Mark Russell, Inclusion, Diversity & Social Equality Advisor at KPMG UK
What our members say about our courses:
“Discussions on the emphasis of talking to people rather than diagnosing was very helpful.”
“Very interesting introduction to disability awareness, for managers, and how to overcome barriers. Good examples used to bring out the key points and open out discussions.”
“The course ‘Making adjustments for disabled colleagues’ should be mandatory to all managers at all levels to make a workplace a better place.”
“Neurodiversity is very important for us to be aware of and get other’s opinions and experiences in real-life working practices.”
“An interesting and thought-provoking event.”
