The winners of Business Disability Forum’s (BDF) Disability Smart Awards 2024 were announced at a ceremony in London last night (30 April).
Ten organisations and individuals won Disability Smart Awards this year, hosted in partnership with Bloomberg. A further seven were awarded ‘Highly Commended’ status. Now in its tenth year, the Disability Smart Awards is an annual event which recognises organisations that are removing barriers and making the world more inclusive for disabled people.
The awards are free to enter and open to organisations of any size across all sectors. Evidence and learnings from winning and highly commended projects are shared during the awards, and throughout the year, to increase business understanding around diversity and inclusion.
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
“I would like to congratulate all of this year’s Disability Smart Award winners and finalists. Their efforts and achievements are already significantly improving the life experiences of many disabled people. But I also hope their stories will provide real-life examples of ‘what works’ for all businesses to follow,” stated Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum.
Adding to her comments, Pamela Hutchinson, OBE, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Bloomberg, said: “We were delighted to host this year’s Disability Smart Awards, supporting Business Disability Forum and celebrating the visionary work being done by organisations and individuals to create a more accessible world. At Bloomberg, we are committed to the inclusion of all and the exclusion of none. We understand the importance of valuing different perspectives and lived experiences to enhance workplace inclusion and improve customer experience.”
DISABILITY INCLUSION CHAMPIONS
This year’s Disability Smart Awards winners and highly commended, by category include:
Disability Smart Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award
Winner: Kim Whippy, PwC LLP. The judges were impressed with the breadth of initiatives that she delivered for PwC LLP and the positive changes achieved.
Disability Smart Leader Award
Winner: Oliver Holbourn, CEO of RBS International (NatWest). He scooped this award for his strategic approach to disability inclusion resulting in large scale change internally, plus clear and generous leadership, which has accelerated the pace of change across the sector.
Highly Commended: Professor Brendan Stone, The University of Sheffield. He was commended for leading and championing the Institutional Disability Strategy and Action Plan, which included a focus on inclusive design and intersectional experiences.
Disability Smart Technology Award
Winner: Microsoft, for the precision haptic touchpad in Surface Laptop Studio 2. The adaptive touch mode means users with limited mobility can use the trackpad with different parts of their limbs.
Highly Commended: Family Care Trust. It scooped the award for creating an interactive Minecraft version of real-life Newlands Bishop Farm. The farm provides work-based learning for adults with learning disabilities. Trainees can prepare for their visits using the virtual world.
Disability Smart Inclusive Workplace Experience Award
Winner: PwC UK. The company scooped the award for developing a bespoke, innovative neurodiversity learning programme – Great Minds (Don’t think alike) – when internal research highlighted the lack of practical awareness of how to support neurodivergent colleagues.
Highly Commended: Na Laga’at Center, for increasing economic and social inclusion through a range of innovative enterprises that employ deaf, hearing impaired, blind and visually impaired people as staff and performers.
Disability Smart Inclusive Recruitment Award
Winner: Whitbread PLC. The company’s Thrive Programme demonstrates an unwavering commitment to supporting young people with learning disabilities and autism to improve skills, confidence and obtain meaningful employment.
Highly Commended: Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination. They were commended for developing a comprehensive digital platform aligning with government initiatives in Abu Dhabi to create an inclusive and efficient employment ecosystem for disabled people.
Disability Smart Inclusive Communication Campaign Award
Winner: Reckitt, for their ‘Me, My Autism and I’ TV advertising campaign for the Vanish detergent brand. The judges were impressed with their efforts to increase understanding around the everyday experiences of young girls living with autism.
Highly Commended: The Royal Society and The Scottish Sensory Centre. The joint work to develop new BSL signs to support the Deaf community to engage with important environmental topics including climate change was truly inspiring.
Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Experience Award
Winner: TUI UK&I. The company won for its detailed access guides that enable their disabled customers to make informed choices about their holiday and their dedicated, specialist Assisted Travel Team to help customers with access.
Highly Commended: Marsham Court Hotel. Thev judges were inspired by their passion and drive to create a family-run, full-service hotel that is as affordable, accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Disability Smart Accessible Built Environment Award
Winner: HSBC for introducing inclusive design standards and guidance for all its branches and offices globally, ensuring everyone can access their facilities in a way that is comfortable, accessible and inclusive.
Disability Smart Global Disability Inclusion Award
Winner: Accessibility Discovery Centre, London @ Google. It scooped the award for creating a dedicated centre for research and innovation in accessible technology, driven by disabled people throughout its development.
Highly Commended: The Valuable Network, Associazione Italiana Persone Down ETS APS. This initiative provides vocational training and job inclusion for people with learning disabilities in the hospitality sector throughout Europe.
Disability Smart Inclusive Product Design Award
Winner: Primark. The retailer won for its affordable, adaptive underwear range covering a wide range of needs. Primark is also working to make their stores accessible to everyone.
Check out all the 2024 Disability Smart Award finalists here and last year’s winners here. You can also visit BDF’s Disability Smart Awards 2024 page to find out more about the awards and winners.
RELATED ARTICLES
The Business Disability Forum has revealed the list of inspiring finalists for the 2024 Disability Smart Awards.
Revealed: The winners of the Disability Smart Awards 2023.
Disability Smart Awards’ co-host and TV presenter Simon Minty highlights why all businesses need to value and focus on workplace disability inclusion.
Sign up for our newsletter
