Finalists

Disability Smart Awards 2025

Disability Smart Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award

• Jennie Williams, Founder and CEO, Enhance the UK, for transformative leadership in disability inclusion, 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, Disability & 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, 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 MBE, 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 365 Copilot, for their AI-powered assistant 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)

Sponsored by Everway (formerly Texthelp).

• 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, for creating an inclusive workplace environment for disabled employees, collaborating 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, for their commitment to championing accessibility and inclusion through their internal flexible working framework, their mentoring of other small businesses and their inclusive output and practices.

Disability Smart Inclusive Recruitment Award

Sponsored by Microsoft.

• Enterprise East 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, for providing employment opportunities for disabled adults in 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, 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, 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, for exemplifying what a small organisation can achieve if inclusion is built into their culture from the outset, ensuring that everyone to enters their store is able to enjoy a barrier-free experience. 

• Heywood-MacDonald Accountancy Services Ltd, for their tailored accountancy 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 PLC, 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

• All In, Arts Council England, 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. 

Disability Confident Awards

Sponsored by Ingeus.

These categories are independent of the Disability Smart Awards, and were judged by the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident Team.  

Disability Confident Award – small organisation (up to 250 employees)

• National Paralympic Heritage Trust, for providing opportunities to young disabled people whilst challenging negative attitudes by celebrating Paralympic history and its stories of human endeavour.  

• Seable Holidays, for providing bespoke and accessible travel experiences for visually impaired people, integrating blind and partially sighted individuals into every aspect of the business.

• Microlink PC, for its commitment to the Disability Confident scheme, demonstrated through its advocacy, education, and collaborative efforts over many years.

Disability Confident Award – large organisation (250+ employees)

• The Gym Group, for championing inclusivity through innovative programmes like the Inclusive Traineeship, accessibility enhancements and tailored support for individuals with disabilities.

• NWH Group Ltd, for fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace whilst removing barriers, embracing innovation, and driving meaningful cultural change that enables disabled colleagues to succeed. 

• Playground Games, for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility both internally with collaborative partners and externally through their Forza Horizon video game franchise.  

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