Disability Smart Awards 2025 finalists announced

Business Disability Forum has announced the finalists of its Disability Smart Awards 2025. These annual awards are a platform for showcasing the work of organisations, teams and individuals to help improve the life experiences of disabled people as employees and as consumers. 1 in 4 people in the UK has a disability and the estimated annual spending power of disabled people in the UK is £274 billion.

This is the eleventh year of the awards and there are 13 Disability Smart Awards to be won. The awards are an opportunity for organisations – large and small – to show examples of projects that have made a real difference with the aim of encouraging all businesses to do better on disability inclusion.

CEO, Diane Lightfoot, said:

“We would like to congratulate all this year’s Disability Smart Award finalists for submitting projects and new ways of working that demonstrate innovation, inclusion and impact. Every year the judging gets harder and that’s a good thing. We want the Disability Smart Awards to be an opportunity for all businesses and organisations to get competitive about disability inclusion as they recognise the benefits that diversity brings for business and for everyone. We wish all the finalists the best of luck and look forward to sharing their stories.”

Disability Smart Awards 2025 finalists

The finalists of the Disability Smart Awards 2025 are as follows:

Disability Smart Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award

• Jennie Williams, Founder and CEO, Enhance the UK, for transformative leadership in disability inclusion. This includes advocating for the rights of Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent individuals, pioneering lived-experience driven training initiatives that promote inclusion accessibility and meaningful connections across diverse sectors. 
• Harriet Roberts, Senior Manager- Group Disability, Mental Health & Neurodiversity, Lloyds Banking Group, for delivering meaningful change for people with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions through a vast range of initiatives expertly designed and developed in collaboration with disabled colleagues. 
• Neil Eustice, Digital Accessibility Manager, KPMG UK LLP, for a lifelong career of driving disability inclusion through his work in various roles at KPMG, the IAAP and sharing his expertise externally through forums such as the Business Disability Forum Technology Taskforce. 

Disability Smart Leader Award

• Martin Austin, Founder, Nimbus Disability, for creating and driving forward the innovative tech-based Access Card, the first time that a universally recognised proof-of-access-requirements scheme was available for use by disabled people.
• Georgina Colman, Founder and CEO, Purpl Discounts, for founding the UK’s first disabled discount site which aims to improve the lives and finances of every disabled person in the UK.
• Gemma Forman, Airport Duty Manager, Southampton Airport, for creating an inclusive environment at Southampton Airport by implementing an internship program for young students with disabilities and for working towards better accessibility for all in an aviation environment.

Disability Smart Technology Award

• Microsoft, for their AI-powered assistant Microsoft 365 Copilot, which enhances productivity and accessibility by providing real-time assistance, adaptive support and intelligent insights, empowering employees with disabilities or neurodivergence to thrive. 
• Unilever, for making their packaging accessible for everyone, through a brand-new scanning technology and accessible QR code solution that can be scanned from a distance and voices the information written on packs.
• Tau XL, for their comprehensive Assistive Technology (AT) awareness e-learning platform, providing CPD-certified knowledge to apply AT solutions in education and the workplace.

Disability Smart Inclusive Workplace Experience Award – large organisation (250+ employees)

• Ofgem, for their digital workplace adjustment passport, the ‘Optimal Working Passport’, the first of its kind in the Civil Service, which streamlines how employees request accommodations, ensures quick approvals and maintains robust data security.
• GXO, for breaking down longstanding barriers within the logistics industry to enable disabled colleagues to operate Manual Handling Equipment (MHE) in their warehouse environment.
• HSBC, for their Global Workplace Adjustments, which provide supporting tools and technologies for disabled colleagues in India, the UK and the UAE, with more locations to follow.

Disability Smart Inclusive Workplace Experience Award – small organisation (up to 250 employees)

• Signorelli Ltd, a family-run, community-led Italian artisan bakery based in Stratford, East London, for creating an inclusive workplace environment for disabled employees. The bakery has collaborated with local charities and boroughs to hire talented individuals, provide tailored support and break down barriers.
• Steps Social Enterprise, for their work creating inclusive workplaces and advancing neuroinclusion in Thailand, through a holistic approach that includes workplace adjustments, well-being programmes and learning and development opportunities.
• Inkfire Limited, a disability-led creative agency based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, for their commitment to championing accessibility and inclusion. This is shown through their internal flexible working framework, their mentoring of other small businesses and their inclusive output and practices.

Disability Smart Inclusive Recruitment Award

• Enterprise Group CIC, for their supported employment ‘Inclusion and Thrive’ programme, which includes well-rounded training for disabled individuals and a placement in one of their social businesses.
• Amazon, for their ‘Supporting Transition to Employment Program’ (STEP) initiative, which creates pathways to employment for young people with Autism and Special Educational Needs (SEN) through supported internships and a bursary fund that removes financial barriers.
• Turning Heads CIC, for providing employment opportunities for disabled adults in Torbay, Devon, offering work experience placements and supported internships, as well as a range of upskilling classes for its work experience interns.

Disability Smart Inclusive Communication Campaign Award

• TUI UK&I, for their successful and relatable campaign to raise awareness of TUI’s accessible holidays and accessible booking processes in collaboration with social media influencers with diverse disabilities and several disability organisations.
• The Aspie World, founded by Daniel Jones, for creating a platform offering practical advice, resources, and community for people with autism with significant and impressive impact.
• London Borough of Lambeth, for their ‘Accessible Lambeth: Blue Badge Awareness & Action’ campaign focused on promoting and protecting the mobility of disabled motorists within Lambeth and nationally, by working with disabled people to tackle growing Blue Badge crime. 

Disability Smart Accessible Built Environment Award

• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People), for its London Headquarters project pioneering the new PAS 6463 national standard to become a beacon of accessibility for its workforce, volunteers, and customers.
• Schneider Electric, for incorporating an innovative Bluetooth way-finding system into their Boston City hub to enable people with sight loss to navigate the premises unaided.
• LLoyds Banking Group, for their inclusive design to cater for diverse working styles and needs including a range of wellbeing solutions to create a supportive environment for their colleagues.

Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Experience Award – large organisation (250+ employees)

• Rail Delivery Group, for the deep consideration they made of the needs of disabled people in the development of Welcome Points to greet customers at railway stations, ensuring all disabled travellers can easily access information and support. 
• Alexandra Park and Palace, for revolutionising the way they engage with the disabled community to make their Victorian Grade 2 listed building a hub of accessibility to all.
• Heineken UK, for their work to embed accessibility across all customer touchpoints within their Strongbow brand, from strategic communication to accessibility and inclusive service in pubs.

Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Experience Award – small organisation (up to 250 employees)

• Mobility in Motion, a disability-equipment supplier based in Alreton, Derbyshire, for transforming automotive accessibility through an innovative, customer-first approach offering tailored solutions and expert advice to ensure that travel is safe and accessible for all.
• Morgan’s Butchery Ltd, a small butchery on the Essex/Sussex border, for exemplifying what a small organisation can achieve if inclusion is built into their culture from the outset, ensuring that everyone who enters their store is able to enjoy a barrier-free experience. 
• Heywood-MacDonald Accountancy Services Ltd, an accountancy firm based in Kendal, Lancashire, for their tailored service that supports disabled entrepreneurs by going above and beyond in considering the specific needs of disabled customers. 

Disability Smart Global Disability Inclusion Award

• 50 Million Voices, for their ‘Global Practice Interview Programme’, which has provided much needed experience for interviewees and interviewers alike, with participation covering over 30 countries so far. 
• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, for their ‘Accessibility Matrix’ tool, which improves workplace accessibility via accessible guidelines, an intuitive self-assessment and strategic planning and communication tools. 
• HSBC, for their multiple, impactful actions across a global organisation of 220,000 full-time equivalent employees covering 60 markets. 

Disability Smart Inclusive Product Design Award

• Bloomsbury Publishing, for their project to convert their bestselling books into a dyslexia-friendly format, giving hundreds of people with dyslexia the opportunity to access their titles. 
• Lloyds Banking Group, for creating bespoke products that are inclusive by design through ethnographic research and co-creation with disabled entrepreneurs.
• Cambridge School Classics Project and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, for creating a new edition of a beginner’s Latin course in different formats, designed to be representative of lived experiences and accessible to learners with varying learning needs.

Disability Smart Procurement Award

• Arts Council England (All In), for transforming how the creative and cultural sector can remove barriers and improve experiences for deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people. 
• Atos, for their commitment to making accessibility and accessibility competence mandatory considerations in the specifications of the Information and Communication Technology products and services it purchases and delivers.
• Versus Arthritis, for improving their procurement process to ensure inclusivity, by involving their team and partners, tailoring specifications, supporting suppliers, and enhancing tender documentation and scoring for diversity. 

Announcing the winners

Winners of the Disability Smart Awards 2025 will be announced at an awards ceremony kindly sponsored by Freshfields in London and online on 29 April 2025. Go to Business Disability Forum’s Disability Smart Awards page to find out more about all the 2025 finalists and to read about past winners.

Ends

---