Disability Network Leaders’ Forum

Disability Network Leaders’ Forum

• Is your employer a Member or Partner of BDF?
• Do you lead or co-lead your organisation’s disability or neurodiversity employee network?
• Do you have a disability or condition yourself?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to all of the above, join our Disability Network Leaders Forum!

What is this Forum for?

The reason this forum exists is two-fold:

• For employees with disabilities and conditions to challenge and discuss BDF’s policy and research ideas to help disabled people be ‘at the centre’ of how BDF forms our messaging and positions about disability inclusion today.
• To get leaders of the employee disability networks in BDF member organisations together to share ideas and support one another with their experiences of what is going on in their workplaces as people with disabilities and conditions.

Sometimes our meet ups are ‘open forums’ for anyone to share with the group something they are working on in their network or workplace, or a challenge they currently have. Other meetings have a set topic to debate for us to focus on. Topics we have covered in the last year include:

• What an ‘inclusive workplace culture’ means to disabled employees today – including adjustments, working relationships, and how disability is spoken about in workplace policies and comms.
• Where and if we see ourselves represented in marketing, adverts, on TV and in films.
• Sharing tips and experiences on how we manage our disabilities and conditions in and outside of work while progressing our careers.
• Views on recent Government policy announcements.

This Forum is crucial for some of the most impactful policy work we have achieved here at BDF. Our network leaders have helped us influenced policy work on changes to flexible working law, living and working with cancer, workplace adjustments, eco-ableism, assistive technology at university and in employment, and disability workforce reporting.

This Forum is vital for informing the direction of BDF’s policy and research work. We couldn’t (and wouldn’t) do it without them. If you, as a network leader with a disability or condition yourself, would like to get the views and experiences of you and your network members represented in UK Government decision-making, this is the forum for you.

About our meet ups

Our meet ups are every 6 weeks online (via Microsoft Teams), and they are led by Angela Matthews, BDF’s Director of Policy and Research, who has disabilities and conditions herself.

Although this forum is only for network leaders who also have a disability or conditions themselves, no one is asked to share with the group anything they don’t want to. Our stories and experiences are our own and for sharing as and when we want to – or not. No one is ever asked to talk about their disability or condition; that is always an individual decision and is only ever prompted by individuals themselves in this forum.

Our meets ups are informal. Join and leave a meeting as you want, and camera on or off is fine. Many take part in sessions via the Teams Chat only. Some eat snacks and take medication during the sessions, and there are frequent appearances from assistance animals and pets who are also always welcome. Colleagues in the group also often share their favourite films, books, podcasts, streaming series, or social media posts that they have been watching or following.

How can I join?

Email Angela at angelam@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk Please note, as above, your organisation must be a Member of Partner of BDF to join this Forum.