• About the Equality and Human Rights Commission and our statutory role in furthering equality
• The Commission’s focus on promoting equality in a changing workplace
• Discussing some of the Commission’s work to protect and promote the rights of disabled people, in the workplace and elsewhere
• The Commission’s plans for the future in this area

• The disadvantage disabled people experience in the labour market is significant and enduring
• In addressing this disadvantage, the government’s focus has been largely on the supply side (labour market activation policies). However, greater focus is needed on the demand side (addressing the barriers disabled people encounter in getting into and remaining in work)
• The Disability Employment Charter outlines proposals in nine key areas that the government should implement to address disability employment advantage
• The charter has been signed by 120 organisations including all the country’s leading disability charities and a growing number of large corporate organisations, thus sending a message to the government regarding the growing support across a range of stakeholders for the proposals the charter outlines

• Requiring employers to give reason for refusal of reasonable adjustments
• Recommendations for employers to consider disability leave as a reasonable adjustment for disabled workers
• Providing disability leave for disabled workers whilst they are waiting for reasonable adjustments to be implemented

Many organisations are seeking to get a clearer picture of the number of disabled people in their workforce, whether they want to report publicly, meet internal targets or simply for management information to track progress. But given that over 90% of disabilities are not immediately visible, creating a culture where people feel safe to share a disability or long term condition is critical. Too often, disabled people are worried that they will be treated differently if they talk about a disability or ask for the support they need; Business Disability Forum’s 2019 Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey found that 34% of disabled people who would have benefited from an adjustment did not ask for them for fear their manager would treat them differently.

Peter Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” and so this session will explore:

• Disability, identity and sharing – why it matters and when and how to ask
• Talking about disability – getting the language right
• What senior leaders and line managers can do to create a culture of “psychological safety” where disabled employees feel able to ask for the support they need
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Check
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Heading
  
  
  
  
  
  Time
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Speakers
  
  
  
  
  
  Overview
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Many organisations are seeking to get a clearer picture of the number of disabled people in their workforce, whether they want to report publicly, meet internal targets or simply for management information to track progress. But given that over 90% of disabilities are not immediately visible, creating a culture where people feel safe to share a disability or long term condition is critical. Too often, disabled people are worried that they will be treated differently if they talk about a disability or ask for the support they need; Business Disability Forum’s 2019 Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey found that 34% of disabled people who would have benefited from an adjustment did not ask for them for fear their manager would treat them differently.

  Peter Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” and so this session will explore:

  • Disability, identity and sharing – why it matters and when and how to ask
  • Talking about disability – getting the language right
  • What senior leaders and line managers can do to create a culture of “psychological safety” where disabled employees feel able to ask for the support they need
• 
  
  Normal Paragraph FormatNormalHeading 1Heading 2Heading 3Heading 4CodeAlignAlign LeftAlign CentreAlight RightAlign JustifyBoldItalicUnderlineOrdered ListDefaultLower AlphaLower GreekLower RomanUpper AlphaUpper RomanUnordered ListDefaultCircleDiscSquareInsert TableInsert LinkInsert ImageInsert Horizontal LineCode ViewMany organisations are seeking to get a clearer picture of the number of disabled people in their workforce, whether they want to report publicly, meet internal targets or simply for management information to track progress. But given that over 90% of disabilities are not immediately visible, creating a culture where people feel safe to share a disability or long term condition is critical. Too often, disabled people are worried that they will be treated differently if they talk about a disability or ask for the support they need; Business Disability Forum’s 2019 Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey found that 34% of disabled people who would have benefited from an adjustment did not ask for them for fear their manager would treat them differently.Peter Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” and so this session will explore:Disability, identity and sharing – why it matters and when and how to askTalking about disability – getting the language rightWhat senior leaders and line managers can do to create a culture of “psychological safety” where disabled employees feel able to ask for the support they need
  
  
  

• Supporting colleagues to have a voice and be heard as to the barriers that exist and working to remove them. 
• Celebrating what each individual brings to the organisation and recognising their talents. 
• From senior level down, undertaking activities such as Ability Challenge, Autism & Dementia Experience and Accessibility bootcamp to bring to life that everyone has access requirements, the mission is to make everyone feel welcome and treated with dignity.

• 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

• Improving support for disabled people to start or stay in work and encouraging employers to recruit, retain and progress their disabled employees
• Creating an Access to Work Adjustments Passport to help disabled people to transition into employment
• Creating more inclusive workplaces by reviewing Disability Confident and promoting the Voluntary Reporting Framework
• Improving access to advice on employment rights for disabled people and employers
• Exploring what extra help would be most useful for disabled people wishing to start a business

• We Are All Disabled; what this means and embracing the controversy
• The Disability Rights Movement and the significance of the Social model
• Addressing the taboo of Disclosure
• Exploring culture within organisations as a key to inclusion
• The importance of challenging perceptions and attitudes and how to do this in a safe and supportive way

• The Everyone Economy report overview
• Assessing the Say/Do gap
• The experience of disabled employees in the workplace
• 5 key actions for leaders

*Programme subject to change