Disability Smart Awards
There are 10 Disability Smart Awards open to UK and global organisations of any size, from any sector. Free to enter and membership of Business Disability Forum is not required. Entries for the 2024 Awards are now closed.
1. Disability Smart Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award
This Award will be given to a diversity and inclusion professional who has overseen real and tangible improvements for disabled people in their workforce and potentially beyond. We are looking for a true practitioner with a hands-on role who is dedicated to delivering disability inclusion locally, nationally or globally. We want to reward and showcase a D&I professional who has engaged teams and functions including senior leaders and whose actions have resulted in positive change that break down barriers experienced by disabled people.
Note: Disability Network Leads, Disability Network Chairs and self-nominations are very welcome to apply in this category.
2. Disability Smart Leader Award
This Award will be given to an inspirational senior leader who has led the implementation of real and tangible improvements for disabled people. We are looking for an individual who leads by example and uses their position and seniority to create a better environment for disabled people locally, nationally or globally. We want to reward and showcase a leader who is a real change maker and has truly driven disability inclusion to make positive change that break down barriers experienced by disabled people.
Note: Self-nominations are very welcome to apply in this category.
3. Disability Smart Technology Award
This Award will be given to a use of technology that has really improved the life opportunities and experiences of disabled people, in the workplace, as a consumer or in wider society. This might be through an innovative use of existing technology or through the development of a new digital or assistive technology product that has been created within the last 18 months and that has gone the extra mile to break down barriers experienced by disabled people.
4. Disability Smart Inclusive Workplace Experience Award
This Award will be given to an organisation that is a great place to work. We are looking for an organisation that demonstrates that it really values the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all its workers, including disabled people, and has thoughtful, engaging and inclusive workplace practices. This might be through a new way of delivering effective workplace adjustments, a holistic wellbeing programme, accessible and inclusive learning and development solutions or a truly inclusive approach to the workplace that enables disabled people to grow, develop and thrive in the organisation.
5. Disability Smart Inclusive Recruitment Award
This Award will be given to an organisation or team that has created innovative, engaging and most of all, inclusive and accessible recruitment campaigns that has resulted in greater numbers of disabled people obtaining work or accessing a profession. We want to reward and showcase an organisation or team that has gone the extra mile to break down barriers experienced by disabled people.
6. Disability Smart Inclusive Communication Campaign Award
This Award will be given to an organisation or team that has created a truly inclusive internal or external communication campaign. We want to hear about how you involved your disabled staff, customers, service users or other stakeholders in your campaign from start to finish. Please tell us about the different communication channels you used to make sure everyone could access and use the content you created. We also want to reward and showcase an organisation or team which has sought to improve the portrayal of disability through their campaign and has increased understanding of disability diversity.
7. Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Experience Award
This Award will be given to an organisation which has provided excellent customer experience to everyone – including disabled people. We want to reward and showcase truly inclusive customer service from an organisation which has gone the extra mile to break down barriers experienced by disabled people. This might be a genuinely inclusive approach to customer service during or after the pandemic or creating a new product or service to meet the needs of disabled customers.
8. Disability Smart Accessible Built Environment Award
This Award will be given to an organisation that has created accessible and inclusive physical environments for everyone, including disabled people. We are looking for environments that support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of everyone who lives, works or spends time in them – whether employees, customers or other stakeholders, including the general public – and that are truly inclusive.
9. Disability Smart Global Disability Inclusion Award
This Award will be given to a global organisation or team that has made a tangible, positive impact to the lives of disabled employees, customers, or service users – across a global setting. This might be through the introduction of best practice solutions, a new campaign, service or product, where the benefit has been achieved across a number of different geographic regions. We are looking for innovative approaches to accessibility and inclusion that have overcome any challenges of implementation across different geographies and cultures, resulting in a more disability inclusive culture within your global organisation.
10. Disability Smart Inclusive Product Design Award
This award will go to an organisation or team that has created a new product (in the last 18 months) which is both accessible and aspirational in terms of its functionality and design. We are looking for a product which has thoughtfully considered inclusion for everyone including people with disabilities from the outset and which has built in end-to-end inclusive design from inception to delivery.
Judging criteria
The winner in each Disability Smart Award category will demonstrate real achievement in each of the three following areas:
Innovation
The organisation, individual or team has introduced or developed innovative approaches, projects or practices to improve disabled people’s lives, which have not been seen before.
Inclusion
The organisation, individual or team has designed an approach, project or practice which has thoughtfully considered accessibility and inclusion for everyone, including disabled people from the outset, and has involved disabled people throughout its development.
Impact
The organisation, individual or team has demonstrated that its approach, project or practice already benefits, or could benefit a large number of disabled people, (for example, it is scalable) and that it has a significant positive impact on their lives.
Disability Confident Awards
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There are 3 Disability Confident Awards for organisations registered for the UK Government’s Disability Confident employer scheme. Free to enter, these categories are independent of the Disability Smart Awards, and are judged by the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident Team.
1. Disability Confident Impact Award
This Award will demonstrate ways in which the organisation has progressed through the different levels of the Disability Confident scheme; the impact the scheme has had in providing opportunities for disabled people and the change it has made to attitudes and behaviours. It will also recognise how an organisation has used the Disability Confident scheme to support the removal of barriers experienced by disabled people to enable everyone to participate more fully, providing inclusive recruitment, retention, and progression in the workplace.
2. Disability Confident Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace Award
This Award will recognise how an organisation has supported employees’ mental health and wellbeing in new and innovative ways, demonstrating a positive impact on the lives of their disabled employees.
It will show how the organisation has thoughtfully considered accessibility and inclusion for everyone, including disabled people, from the outset when designing how a mental health and wellbeing strategy is delivered for example, via a website, app or delivery.
The organisation will show it has removed barriers experienced by disabled employees to enable everyone to access mental health and wellbeing support as needed.
3. Disability Confident Small Business Award
This Award will recognise how a small business enterprise has adapted its practices in new and innovative ways to ensure inclusion for disabled employees. The business will demonstrate effective leadership, with the ability to influence other businesses in driving a cultural change that incorporates diversity and inclusion practices that benefits their disabled customers and employees.
Judging criteria
The winner in each of the three Disability Confident Award categories will demonstrate real achievement in each of the three following areas:
Making a change
- The organisation took actions when progressing through the Disability Confident scheme.
- The organisation has used the Disability Confident scheme to positively change attitudes and behaviours
- The organsiation has offered work-related opportunities such as apprenticeships, internships or work experience.
Innovation
- The organisation found new, innovative and inclusive ways to support disabled people
- The organisation has worked with community partners or supplier organisations to share resources and expertise.
- The organisation has put workplace adjustments in place
Breaking down barriers
- Barriers have been broken down for employees but the environment for disabled clients and customers has also been improved.
- Barriers have been removed.
- Challenges in removing barriers have been overcome.
- There will be a long term positive effect on the lives of disabled employees.
