BDF conference unites global voices to lead change on disability inclusion

Business Disability Forum’s global conference brought together business leaders and top employers to debate how global change can be used to deliver global disability inclusion (7 July).

Addressing the “Delivering disability-inclusive change in global organisations” conference, Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum (BDF) said:

“Global disability inclusion brings significant benefits for disabled people, society and business. Leading and achieving positive organisational transformation when external change is happening at such pace and with such momentum, however, is a significant challenge. How do we cut through the noise and confusion around us? And how do we turn current challenges into opportunities to achieve meaningful and lasting change for our disabled employees and customers?

“I believe that the starting point must be equipping ourselves and our staff. Being able to cope with and navigate not just uncertain but chaotic times is increasingly becoming a key skill for all of us.”

Lyn Lee, DEI strategist and author of Tiny Rice Grains, a Straits Times non-fiction bestseller, said: 

“Every small action and working together can lead to effective change. This means that true global leadership isn’t about where you sit or the influence you hold. It’s about recognising that every person, in every role and every corner of the world, has the power to make inclusion a daily practice. Like tiny rice grains, our individual actions may seem small but, together, they create the lasting culture change that makes disability inclusion possible.” 

Global impact

In a panel discussion on the global impact that disability inclusion is having around the world, Max Simpson, CEO of Steps Social Enterprise in Thailand, said: 

“We see companies take a very compliance-based approach and stop with hiring the required quota of 1:100 employees. Then, challenges come up, like they can’t retain just one employee who uses sign language, or someone who is actually under-employed because they didn’t take a strengths-based approach to match them to a suitable role. We see inclusion work when companies take a strategic approach by looking at policy, practice and culture, and start to implement it through a pilot site or programme, like an internship cohort, to create a sense of success and community for everyone.” 

Murteza Rafi Khan, CEO of the Bangladesh Business & Disability Network, said: 

“Disability inclusion is gaining momentum in Bangladesh. Responsible businesses are strengthening internal disability confidence, while also investing in external initiatives that address the needs of persons with disabilities. The global supply chains of multinational brands continue to influence greater local adoption of inclusive practices, while industry associations are coming forward to motivate their members to take action. Against the backdrop of economic headwinds and contracting foreign assistance that has often supported inclusion initiatives, the need and opportunity for responsible businesses to take a leadership role in advancing the disability inclusion agenda, in collaboration with key stakeholders, has never been greater.”   

The conference was sponsored by HSBC. Carolanne Minashi, Global Head of Inclusion at HSBC, said:  

“Advancing disability inclusion matters globally because it helps remove barriers to opportunity and enables people to participate fully in work and society. We can all achieve this at scale by embedding inclusive design and accessible technology, strengthening policies and leadership accountability, and listening to lived experience to drive measurable, sustained change.”

Other speakers included:

• Joanne Austin, Global Inclusion Delivery Support Manager, HSBC 
• Agata Robińska, President & Founder, YES to Disability Foundation (Poland)  
• Julie Thomas, Global Director Inclusion & Diversity, Coca-Cola Euro-pacific Partners  
• Anahi Lafon, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Impact Director, L’oreal (France) 
• Sweety Kandekar, VP – HR Consulting, HSBC (India) 

Read our Global Conference blog or watch our short highlights video to find out more.