Research shows that individuals with both physical and hidden disabilities are underrepresented in the workforce. The aim of this event was to increase attendees disability confidence and empower them to contribute to a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
To achieve this RIDI coordinated a fantastic list of guest speakers who showcased the great work they are undertaking as pioneers of disability inclusion.
The event included presentations from:
- Evan Knutson, Disability Inclusion Leader at Amazon
- Sarah Pugh, Whizz Kidz CEO and and Ella Mae Warren who is the chair of the Kidz Board.
- James Dixon-Box, Director of Marsham Court Hotel.
- James Chave, Senior Consultant at The Clear Company
- Director Gavin Evans and Senior Accessibility Analyst, Comms and Training Manager Mike Taylor from Digital Accessibility Centre
Each presentation was designed to build awareness and inspire attendees by providing practical advice, insight and strategic ideas to take away and implement.
The structure of the event included plenty of time for questions and discussion about the challenging topics covered in the speakers presentations and closed with a panel discussion including RIDI Chair Kate Headley, Mark Lomas from Lloyds of London, and Maria Grazia Zedda from HS2 sharing their vast knowledge on disability inclusion.
The insights gained will undoubtedly fuel attendees journeys towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
RIDI Chair and Government Disability Access Ambassador for the Recruitment Sector Kate Headley said: “There is a recruitment revolution taking place, with RIDI leading the way in increasing disability confidence in the workplace. We’re delighted to be hosting another face-to-face get-together for the RIDI Pioneer Community, as we know our members get so much from sharing their progress and disability confidence journeys in such a supportive environment.”
Tamsin McCarthy Diversity & Inclusion Manager at DWF said: “The insight shared by Whizz Kidz, the RIDI Award-winners and the RIDI Pioneers is so inspirational. Sharing best practice is crucial for improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace as it helps organisations learn from the experiences of others, provides different viewpoints, and can help to save time and resources. RIDI is leading the way in encouraging organisations to invest in and improve their disability confidence. DWF is proud to support events like this where organisations come together to showcase and celebrate their innovative work in the knowledge that sharing best practice will ultimately benefit us all by creating greater diversity in the wider workforce.”
Find out how to become a RIDI pioneer >
And if you are already doing great work in this space, why not submit yourself for a 2024 RIDI Award? Find out how to process your nomination for the 2024 RIDI awards >