Global Conference Programme 2025

Full programme (All times BST)

For businesses operating around the world, it can be a challenge to navigate differing local policies and attitudes towards disability inclusion. The global landscape for inclusion is becoming more complex, with stricter regulation in some jurisdictions and evolving attitudes in others.

Whether you are a CEO, inclusion specialist or working on the frontline, how can you ensure your business is consistently disability-smart across its global operations? How can you make a robust business case to maintain high standards of disability inclusion, and meet the rigorous standards for compliance expected in many parts of the world?

Join us for our Global Conference to hear about how businesses are working in this complex global landscape. We will be joined by leading voices in disability inclusion, including a keynote from Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Vice President and Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft.

9:30 am
Refreshments

10:00 am
Welcome from BDF and HSBC

• Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum
• Carolanne Minashi, Global Head of Inclusion at HSBC (UK)

10:20 am
Getting serious about inclusion in a complex world

• Amy Whalley, CEO, Australian Disability Network (Australia)
• Jürgen Menze, Disability Inclusion Specialist, International Labour Organization (Switzerland)
• Wolfgang Kowatsch, Managing Director, myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH (Austria)
• Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum (Chair)

11:10 am
Break

11:20 am
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) – what we now know and how businesses are responding

• Abi James, Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant, Barclays plc (UK)
• Christopher Patnoe, Lead for EMEA Accessibility & Disability Innovation, Google (UK)
• Neil Milliken, Global Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion, Atos (UK)
• Lucy Ruck, Taskforce Manager, Business Disability Forum (Chair)

12:10 pm
Lunch break

12:50 pm
Maintaining high accessibility standards globally

• Donna Bungard, Director of Accessibility, Indeed (USA)
• Marc Powell, Global Accessibility Centre of Excellence Lead, Unilever (UK)
• Surali Siriwardene, Private Bank Head of Change Execution & WPS COO, HSBC (Hong Kong)
• John McCalla-Leacy – Head of Global Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), KPMG International (Chair)

1:40 pm
Break

1:50 pm
Understanding your global accessibility activities

• Christina Jones, VP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Shell plc (USA)
• Paula Aitkenhead, Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Global Lead, Schneider Electric (France)
• Adrian Ward, Director of Operations, Business Forum (Chair)

2:40 pm
Break

2:50 pm
Breakout groups

3:20 pm
Break

3:30 pm
Keynote

• Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer, Vice President, Microsoft
• Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum (Interviewer)

3:55 pm
Final note

Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum (Interviewer)

4:00 pm
Close

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