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Disability Inclusion in the Workplace 2021

Online Event 28 October 2021, 9:00am - 4:00pm

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Overview Agenda Speakers Sponsors Supporters Audience Learning Outcomes Benefits Testimonials
Day 1
9:00am
Online Registration
9:30am
Chair’s Welcome Address
Gosia Kwiatkowska, BSc, MA, FHEA, Senior Lecturer & Researcher, University of East London, Co-director, RIX Research and Media Centre
9:40am
Keynote Address: Removing Barriers And Increasing Participation By Developing A National Strategy For Disabled People
  • Collaborating with government colleagues, disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, charities and businesses to achieve practical changes
  • Building on evidence, data and insights from the experience of disabled people to put fairness at the heart of government work and level up opportunity for disabled people
  • Developing a clear vision on disability which is owned across government and changing policies to strengthen disabled people’s ability to participate fully in society
  • Identifying what matters most to disabled people and ensuring lived experience underpins policies
  • Supporting policies and how they are delivered by improving the quality of evidence and data
Sarah Baker, Deputy Director, Disability Unit, Cabinet Office
10:00am
Keynote Address: Help Unlock The Social And Professional Value Of People Living With Disabilities
Felix Ledger-Beadell, Director, Access Your Life
10:20am
Keynote Address: Navigating the Labyrinthian Path to Employment
  • Reducing the touchpoints and associated barriers for disabled students in creating a seamless transition into employment
  • Nurturing disabled talent throughout education and into employment to develop a national workforce that is representative of our society
  • Linking education providers and policy makers with employers more cohesively to enable sustainable graduate opportunities for disabled student
  • Ensuring lived experience and intersectional representation is at the heart of policy development in positively impacting on the transition into employment
  • Ensuring the establishment of inclusive environments in education and employment as the societal norm, and via the Social Model of Disability
Brian Lutchmiah, Higher Education Partnerships and Inclusion Lead, Diversity and Ability
10:40am
Questions And Answers Session
11:05am
Break and Networking
11:35am
Keynote Address: Reimagining The Workplace To Create More Inclusive Environments For Disabled People
  • Improving disabled people’s access to the labour market to reduce the disability employment gap
  • Removing barriers to the application process for disabled people seeking work
  • Giving disabled people financial security and the opportunity to progress in work and be treated with respect and decency
  • Providing more flexible working for disabled people and giving access to adjustments and assistive technology
  • Addressing the digital skills gap and access to innovative technology as a central part of building inclusive workplaces
Dr Ruth Owen OBE, CEO, Leonard Cheshire
11:55am
Case Study: Creating A Disability Staff Network At UHMBT To Create A Supportive Working Environment And Policy Framework For Colleagues With A Disability
  • Attracting and retaining a truly diverse workforce and making the Trust a better place to work and be cared for
  • Removing barriers to the development and progression of disabled colleagues 
  • Embedding the Behavioural Standards Framework into the UHMBT culture and ensuring all staff know how they should be treating colleagues
  • Ensuring that the Trust is a safe and inclusive environment for people with different disabilities
  • Encouraging staff to understand the needs of different individuals a making improvements to accessibility at hospitals in the Trust
Francesca Higgins, People & OD Advisor (Inclusion and Engagement), People & Organisational Development, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
12:15pm
Are You Sitting Uncomfortably? Challenging and Changing Perceptions of Disability as a Key to Inclusion
  • The Affirmative model was proposed as a ‘non-tragic’ view of disability and impairment which encompasses positive social identities, both individual and collective for disabled people. This model is grounded in the benefits of a lifestyle of being impaired and disabled and affirms that disabled people have a unique way of being situated in society and the perception of disability differs from the lived experience.
  • In my doctoral thesis I used inclusion as a synonym for participation; referring to the involvement of disabled people in everyday activities. This includes the removal of barriers and the opportunity to share our views, voice our opinions and gain equality.
  • Inclusion in the workplace is vitally important to exploring, challenging and changing perceptions of disabilility
  • We Are All Disabled as a CIC is all about effective communication. Our aim is to create a safe and supportive space for people to come together and have open and meaningful conversations around issues that they may find difficult or uncomfortable.
Lucy Reynolds Ph.D, Founder and Director, We Are All Disabled CIC
12:35pm
Questions And Answers Session
12:55pm
Lunch And Networking
1:40pm
Case Study: Developing An Evolving Culture That Is Inclusive Of Staff And Recognises And Embraces Difference
  • Welcoming applications and expressions of interest from people with a disability and ensuring they are progressed through the application process 
  • Becoming a Disability Confident Employer by demonstrating that Lancashire Constabulary is positive about employing disabled people
  • Using positive action methods to encourage applications from under-represented communities
  • Ensuring that there are support mechanisms in place for staff including hearing loops, flexible working, accessible buildings, mentoring schemes and support for families and carers
  • Providing a Disability Support Group to ensure that wellbeing is part of the norm and to establish a network of people who have knowledge of specific disabilities
Rozila Kana, Equality and Diversity Manager, Lancashire Constabulary
2:00pm
Keynote Address: Celebrating Disability
Esi Hardy, Managing Director, Celebrating Disability
2:20pm
Chair’s Summary And Close
Gosia Kwiatkowska, BSc, MA, FHEA, Senior Lecturer & Researcher, University of East London, Co-director, RIX Research and Media Centre
3:00pm
Consultation

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