Category Archives: Diversity

Diversity, News

Research agency urges businesses to consider accessibility

Thursday 3rd December marked International Day of People with Disability (IDPD), originally created by the United Nations and designed to bring awareness and celebrate the diversity of the global community. This years’ theme is ‘not all disabilities are visible’, something Leeds-based behavioural research and UX consultancy, SimpleUsability, is keen to encourage businesses to consider when interacting with their customers.

After SimpleUsability’s research moved to become 100% remote this year, the team reconsidered how they could improve the way the firm recruits and researches with participants with a variety of needs and digital skill sets. In turn, SimpleUsability has been working with large UK organisations by providing research into the experiences of those with disabilities and additional needs. The agency is now calling on other businesses to consider how inclusive customer touch points such as websites, direct mail and emails are, to all types of customers.

A study by WebAIM in 2019, discovered 97.8% of the top one million websites failed to comply with web content accessibility guidelines. This leaves millions of people unable to properly access and understand a website and the ramifications of this are not limited to just shopping online. Being able to access information or services online can be a lifeline to those most in need. A study commissioned by CDS, which acquired SimpleUsability in October 2020, revealed 82% of customers with access needs would spend more if websites were more accessible.

Cheyenne Ritfeld (pictured), works as an account manager for SimpleUsability and is hard of hearing. Cheyenne comments:

“I’ve shared my own experiences to help our team and our clients do more to help those with accessibility needs. For example, I often need people to look at me when they speak and if someone talks into my ear in a crowded environment, I won’t be able to hear them. This can even make video calls tricky if the person’s image isn’t clear on screen, or when fearing a face mask as we have all had to do this year.

“We want to raise awareness of days like IDPD to show the importance of accessibility in all aspects of business, but it should naturally filter through in our everyday lives too. I hope by sharing my experience and improving our work in this area it helps people consider how tricky it can be just to function in everyday society when you have additional needs of any kind.”

Judith Doherty, strategy director for SimpleUsability, adds:

“As businesses confirm their 2021 strategy plans, we urge leaders to consider how inclusive their communications are. Adopting an inclusive approach means putting the needs of your audience at the heart of everything you do.

“It’s not acceptable for accessibility to continue to be an afterthought, when 14 million UK residents are classed as disabled, with many more with varying needs that affect how they interact with organisations. As a business, we are doing all we can to learn from and listen to those in society that need more support, and by working closely with the rest of CDS to combine our research knowledge with our inclusive communications expertise, we can offer clients the support they need to make the right changes.”

SimpleUsability has created a manifesto, to help businesses learn ways in which they can ensure accessibility is at the forefront of any activity. The manifesto can be accessed at: https://www.simpleusability.com/inspiration/2020/09/manifesto-8-reasons-why-accessibility-matters-more-than-ever/.

Diversity, News

Global businesses sign up to put disability inclusion on their board agendas

Today, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, The Valuable 500 – the largest network of global CEOs committed to diversity – announces the latest businesses to have become members.

This comes as new international data reveals only 3% of media articles discussing diversity referenced disability – and this has only risen by 1% in the last five years. In addition, despite references to ‘disability’ in the media rising by 55% in the last five years, only 1 in 3 articles talking about disability referenced business.

It is clear that while there is a growing increase in awareness around disability inclusion, it is still not as firmly embedded in the diversity & inclusion agenda as it should be and is often a forgotten aspect of this conversation – particularly when it comes to business leadership. The Valuable 500 is working to tackle this critical issue.

Those signing up recently to The Valuable 500 include, Allianz, Allied Irish Banks, American Express, Amplifon UK, Anthem, The Asahi Shimbun Company, Birds Eye, The Clorox Company, Costain Group, DTEK, EDF Energy, ENEOS Holdings, Expedia Group, FARFETCH, FleishmanHillard, Grant Thornton UK LLP, GSMA, Hinduja Global Solutions, Hogan Lovells, Innocent Drinks, Keelings, Kin + Carta, Kmart Australia, L’Oréal, Ottobock SE & Co, Philips, Philip Morris International, PSEG, Regions Bank, Schindler Group, Schroders, Sekisui House, Telstra, ThoughtWorks, Unisys, ViacomCBS Networks UK, Westpac and Wickes.

These latest global companies to join the movement are drawn from across the world, including the USA, Australia, Sweden, India, Japan, Ukraine, Germany, UK and France.

Launched at Davos in January 2019 by Caroline Casey and Paul Polman, The Valuable 500 remains the only global CEO community dedicated to radically transforming the business system across the whole supply chain for the benefit of all those with a disability. In under two years, 360 CEOs have joined this community.

The new sign ups revealed today bring the combined revenue of The Valuable 500’s current members to over $5 trillion, encompassing 55 sectors, with over 12.8 million employees and reaching across 31 countries.

The Valuable 500’s announcements are made on the UN-sanctioned International Day of Persons with Disabilities, as we enter the 10 year countdown to the completion of the UN’s 2030 sustainable development goals. This year in particular, in light of the global pandemic, the day focuses on Building Back Better towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world.

The Valuable 500 is calling for a shift in mentality, and for business and society alike to make the next decade the decade of disruption when it comes to inclusion of persons with disabilities. Ensuring disability inclusion is firmly embedded within the whole business supply chain will not be achieved in a single day of awareness – but it can be a critical focus for the next 10 years as the world looks to build back better.

Inclusion of persons with disabilities – referenced in five of the SDGs – and therefore The Valuable 500’s mission – will be integral to meeting the UN’s 2030 agenda in time over the next decade. Currently, 15% of the global population are persons with disabilities. This number increases to 53% when you include the families of persons with disabilities. Businesses cannot afford to exclude such a significant pool of talent, diversity of thought and customers with a spending power of $8 trillion per annum.

This year has prompted much reflection on disability inclusion, from the changes to society COVID-19 has catalysed to it being the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 25th anniversary of Britain’s Disability Discrimination Act. It is now time to look forward and to focus on the impact and change that can be engendered in this space by the deadline for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

The Valuable 500 itself is continuing to work to lay the foundations for a more inclusive society over the next decade, as it readies to announce the next phase of its mission in early 2021, looking at six key pillars, three internally in organisations and three externally, so together we can co-create and co-shape the business system to look at how disability is valued within business. The Valuable 500 is also embarking on joint ventures with the International Paralympics Committee.

Diversity, Industry News

First national survey of black jewellers reveals 51% experience racism – and incidents are only rarely reported

A first-of-its-kind national survey of UK black jewellers reports that 51% of respondents said they had experienced racism in the jewellery industry.

The Survey of Black Jewellers was carried out by Private 2 Public Ltd on behalf of Kassandra Lauren Gordon, a black jeweller, supported by the Goldsmiths’ Company and the Goldsmiths’ Centre. It follows Kassandra’s open letter to the jewellery industry in June about the lack of diversity and inclusion for black people in the industry. The survey looked at the experiences of racism black people said they faced in the jewellery industry, as well as the skills, barriers and opportunities black jewellers needed to grow their businesses and improve their practice. 94 black jewellers responded to the survey, conducted between 25 August and 8 September.

 

Experiences of racism happen across the jewellery industry, but are rarely reported

The survey indicated that experiences of racism were most likely to take place at selling events or exhibitions (39%), in education and training (39%), or in interactions with suppliers (services, equipment or materials) (35%).

Yet racism was rarely reported (74% never reported it), regardless of the stage respondents were  in their careers, because they didn’t know how to report racism, or who to report it to (38%), and were either concerned about the consequences of reporting (33%) or if they’d be believed (33%).

 

Racism impacted on the mental health of over a third of respondents

Impact on mental health (39%) was cited as having the most marked effect on those respondents who said they had experienced racism, along with stalling career development (13%) or hiding their identity (11%).

One respondent said that racism in the jewellery industry amounted to “…lots and lots of small incidents – microaggressions. In the short term they don’t seem that damaging but in the long term, when you put it all together, it is… It’s death by a thousand cuts”

Kassandra Lauren Gordon comments, “The results of the survey are validation, were it needed – and I’m sad to say it is – of the collective experiences many black jewellers, me included, have had in the industry, from microaggressions to direct racism. Some people may find it shocking, particularly the pervasiveness of it in the industry, from the workshop to the lecture hall. Those that have experienced racism won’t be shocked at all. The focus now should be on how the jewellery industry is going to create a culture of inclusion for black people and become proactively anti-racist both in day-to-day life and longer term.”

 

Lack of funds, business experience, and role models the most common business barriers

The survey also looked at skills, barriers and opportunities for emerging and established Black jewellers, to understand what support was needed to develop and grow the practice and business of black jewellers; and encourage more black people into the industry.

The survey indicated that the three most common barriers today were lack of funds (77%), lack of business experience (51%) and lack of role models (44%). While these results were comparable to other surveys of the jewellery community, ‘lack of role models’ was not typically offered as a response option, further emphasising the need for visible black role models in the industry.

 

Many black jewellers are learning the craft outside the mainstream

The skills gaps respondents most wanted to address were business skills (80%), making/ manufacturing skills (69%) and product development (56%). And the opportunities for support that were rated most highly were: money to fund new pieces/ the business (80%); to make contacts in the industry (72%); to showcase work through exhibitions and events (70%); and more press and promotion (70%).

Those surveyed were less likely to come into the industry through mainstream education – higher education (33%) and further education (20%) – and more likely to enter the industry through short courses and private tuition (49%) or to enter through alternative routes (23%) such as being self-taught.

They were also less likely to seek out support from mainstream FE or HE education providers (44%) or industry bodies and trade associations (46%) compared to other more self-directed sources, such as reaching out to other skilled craftspeople (76%) or the internet/ social media (65%). This might, in part, be due to relatively low levels of awareness and a fragmented take-up of membership to those organisations – 58% of respondents were not affiliated to an industry/ business group.

 

The jewellery industry needs improve visibility and representation of black people

Overall, survey respondents said that the jewellery industry needed to be more inclusive, and to improve the visibility and representation of black people. This ranged from more media coverage for black jewellers (37%); to more diversity in exhibitions and showcases (30%) and the need for the industry to be more inclusive/equal in general (21%).

One respondent said, “I think that the industry can shine more light, promote and just uplift more black jewellers as mentors, role models, teachers and stuff like that, to show young black jewellers, like myself, that we do actually exist, and we can get to a high level in the jewellery industry.”

Commenting on the findings, Richard Fox, Prime Warden (Chairman-equivalent) of the Goldsmiths’ Company, which supported the research, said, “There is no place for racism, or any other form of discrimination, in our trade. This research highlights a disconnect between the industry and the black jewellery community. While the industry has a lot to offer, from training and development to showcases that celebrate the work of jewellers, we need to ask ourselves if enough is being done to improve the accessibility of those opportunities for budding and established black jewellers.”

He added, “All of us in the industry need to look closely at how we can we reach and engage with black jewellers better and more effectively and encourage more young black people into jewellery and silversmithing – we are potentially missing out on a whole generation of talented designers and craftspeople. This will require sustained commitment and substantive change. It will involve an industry-wide collaboration and effort, most importantly with black jewellers themselves.”

Kassandra hopes that the survey will prompt the industry into more visible and tangible action. She concludes, “For far too long black jewellers have been all but invisible in the jewellery industry, developing their practice and their business on the fringes. Before June, I knew of one or two other black jewellers and had come across no black tutors or industry leaders.

“Several months on, black-led networks, such as the Black Jewellers Network and The List, have evolved in response to Black Lives Matter and the failings of the jewellery industry to address challenges of inclusion. But this does not absolve the industry of its responsibility to be proactive and to act: to be open and transparent about the steps it is (or isn’t) taking to be more inclusive of black people. It will take time to develop trust – trust is fragile – and for change to happen. But happen it must.”

Three considerations for the UK jewellery industry

Based on the findings of the survey, three key areas have been identified for the jewellery industry to consider with regard to how it can improve access, training, and support for all black jewellers:

 

  1. It takes more than a policy or procedure to tackle racism: How can the industry ensure that not only are effective systems and processes in place for both the reporting of and acting upon racism; but that these are communicated effectively across the Industry, from suppliers to educators and small businesses?  How can it enable black jewellers, and in particular aspiring black jewellers, to build confidence and trust in the industry in which they work or wish to work?

 

  1. The industry needs to look at how it engages black jewellers and aspiring black jewellers: Black jewellers are more likely to approach other skilled craftspeople or go to a search engine for support or training than they are to go to trade bodies and associations or FE and HE providers. How can the industry reach and engage with black jewellers effectively, and ensure that provision (be that education, training, events, competitions, memberships, and so on) is appealing, relevant and accessible to them?

 

  1. Black jewellers have been largely invisible in the jewellery industry: Respondents want the industry to be more inclusive and to improve the visibility and representation of black people, from promoting black jewellers and celebrating their work to using black models in campaigns. How can the industry improve the visibility and representation of black people (not only black jewellers)?

 

Kassandra has also undertaken and authored a social research study – Challenges

faced by black jewellers working and studying in the UK jewellery industry. It identifies and documents the challenges facing black jewellers in the UK. 11 black jewellers were interviewed. The study revealed six themes: experience of racism in the jewellery industry, education and training, the press, social capital, supply chain, and resilience. Recommendations are offered to redress the problems that featured in the research.

To find our more go to: https://bit.ly/SurveyBlackJewellers  #SurveyBlackJewellers

Diversity, HR News, News

Siemens UK signs up to the Race at Work Charter to underscore its continuing commitment to racial equality

Siemens UK today announced it has signed up to the Race at Work Charter, an initiative, developed in partnership with Business in the Community (BITC) and the government, designed to improve outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees in the UK.

The charter builds on the work of the 2017 McGregor-Smith Review, ‘Race in the workplace’, a wake-up call for UK employers, which found that people from BAME backgrounds were still underemployed, underpromoted and under-represented at senior levels. The Charter – which now has more than 470 signatories from public, private and charitable organisations – was set up by the business outreach charity BITC and outlined a series of measures to tackle ethnic disparities in the workplace.

On committing to the initiative, Valerie Todd, HR director Siemens GB and Ireland said: “The Race at Work Charter embodies the same common values Siemens shares on diversity, inclusion and respect for all its staff members. In these changing times it is apt for responsible organisations to make their commitments more pronounced and public on important issues such as racial equality. Not only does this help to build better cohesion and understanding of different people in the workforce but it will also permeate into the wider community, to create a more respectful and tolerant society.”

The Race at Work Charter is designed to foster a public commitment to improving outcomes of BAME employees in the workplace. It consists of five principles to ensure organisations address the barriers to BAME recruitment and progression. Organisations that sign up to the charter are publicly committing to:
• Appointing an Executive Sponsor for race
• Capturing data and publicising progress
• Ensuring zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
• Making equality in the workplace the responsibility of all leaders and managers
• Taking action that supports ethnic minority career progression

The 2018 Race at Work Scorecard report by BITC showed that there is still a need for concerted and consistent action from employers across the UK to improve outcomes for BAME employees. The report showed:

• There has been an increase in the number of workers from BAME background who report that they have witnessed or experienced racist harassment or bullying from customers or service users.
• Despite being ambitious, over half of BAME employees still believe they will have to leave their current organisation to progress their career.
• The proportion of managers who report that they have a performance objective to promote equality at work has fallen from 41% in 2015 to 32% in 2018.
• Most significantly, employees have not reported any increase in the number of leaders demonstrating commitment and taking action since 2015.

Sandra Kerr CBE, race director at BiTC, added: “By signing the Race at Work Charter, Siemens is joining 470 other businesses on the right side of history. A commitment to the Charter’s five actions shows that a company has more on their mind than pretty words – and that they understand the value of telling the world that they want to create and promote fairer, more inclusive working environments for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues.”

Continued Todd: “The timing of our announcement also coincides with Black History Month in the UK – an annual awareness event that recognises the contribution of the African and Caribbean diasporas around the world which aims to help eradicate bias, either conscious or unconscious and celebrates multiculturalism and diversity in the workplace. Tackling inequalities at work is a priority for all leadership teams and finding the right balance of initiatives to encourage ‘courageous’ discourse on discrimination is integral to the success of business.”

Carl Ennis, Siemens CEO, GB & Ireland welcomed the signing of the Race at Work Charter and said: “Real inclusion is a culture demonstrated by actions as well as words. By signing the Charter and celebrating Black History Month with our employees we are sending a clear signal that we are committed to breaking down barriers to equality and enable all of our employees to flourish to their full potential at work.”

For its part, Siemens UK is scheduling a programme of activities to improve understanding and respect across its communities. The company plans to run a series of leadership sessions on how to build a more equitable organisation, reverse-mentoring workshops to help staff learn about different cultures and informal get-togethers to break down barriers to share and debate diversity, as well as explore cultures and share experiences.

Awards, Diversity

EasyBuilds Carol Massay Heads Up ​The European Women In Construction & Engineering Awards On Judging Panel

The European Women In Construction & Engineering Awards has been designed to find the most exemplary women within construction and engineering across Europe. 

To encourage companies to employ and train more women in these sectors, entry for the awards is by nomination only.

Carol Massay, CEO of specialist construction software company EasyBuild, was delighted when she was asked to take part in the WICE awards being head judge on the consultant category.  The opportunity for Carol to become a judge at the WICE awards came off the back of her participation last year.  At the 2019 awards Carol Massay was a panel speaker and then was given the opportunity to present the winners award for the Best Consultant of the Year at the prestigious event held in London. 

Last year’s winner Roni Savage has gone on to great things since winning, doing interviews for the BBC Business News, Parliamentary discussions for small businesses and now the Policy Chair Construction for the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) as well as running her own business JOMAS Associates and much more.

Women represent only 11% of the construction workforce in the UK and the WICE awards play an important role in engaging more females to work in the industry by providing a platform for those who work within engineering and construction and to share their expertise and act as role models to those considering working in these roles. Gender equality across the workforce is something that is very close to the heart of EasyBuild UK and CEO Carol Massay took the opportunity to be involved again this year with both hands.

The 2020 WICE awards were slightly different to previous years having to be held virtually via a Zoom conference.

Carol commented about her experience with the WICE Awards telling us “being involved assessing candidates who are experts in their field was a great experience, but also a “real challenge” as they were all of a really high standard.  Knowing that the sector continues to produce strong diverse women in a number of key construction roles, will ensure that graduates and other individuals wishing to move into construction will have access to individuals to mentor and to and support their journey. I was supported by my fellow judges Thomas Edgcumbe – MD (UKCS North and Midlands) at Balfour Beatty plc and Helen Barrow – MD of Power Regeneration Utilities at Accenture, which made the whole process a great experience for us and also for the candidates.

 

COVID-19, Diversity, Talent Management

Diversity & inclusion for agile workforces shown as new imperatives in Aon Survey

Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions (NYSE: AON), has released the results of a new global pulse survey focused on how companies are rethinking their human capital and assessment strategies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Aon conducted the study, “Accelerating Workforce Agility and Resilience,” from August 17 to August 25, 2020, and a total of 2,004 human resources leaders and professionals responded globally, 578 from the UK. Complete study results are available here.

“This study demonstrates how companies are actively preparing for the future of work,” said Michael Burke, chief executive officer for Aon’s Human Capital business. “The degree to which firms are focused on improving workforce agility is fascinating, as is that the vast majority said they needed to attract and retain diverse employees to build and maintain an agile workforce.”

Workforce agility is vital to the future success of organisations, but agility gaps are widespread

In the UK, 83% of survey respondents view workforce agility, defined as the ability to quickly move employees into new roles or areas of the organisation to support changing business needs, as very important or extremely important to the future success of their organisation following the onset of the pandemic. However, while workforce agility is widely viewed as vital to future success, in the UK, only 40% of survey respondents currently view their workforces as very agile or extremely agile.

“This workforce agility gap—between what employees and teams can handle today versus what will be required of them in the near future—is significant and represents a major challenge for companies looking to reshape their business and human capital strategies,” said Pete Bentley, chief commercial officer for Aon’s Human Capital business. He added, “this gap is remarkably consistent across regions and industries.”

Diversity and inclusion are viewed as key to improving workforce agility

When survey respondents were asked to assess 10 key factors needed to build and maintain an agile workforce, the ability to attract and retain diverse employees and create an inclusive culture ranked near the top. In the UK, 88% of respondents said this factor was very important or extremely important, ahead of factors such as identifying employees with key digital skills (72%), introducing new career paths (75%) and developing flexible compensation programmes (55%).

Only two other factors rated higher than diversity and inclusion―technology tools and infrastructure (94%) and communications tools and infrastructure (91%). Another top factor is the ability to assess employees for adaptability, collaboration and communications skills. Eighty-three percent of UK survey respondents said this factor was very important or extremely important.

Hiring outlook

On top of this, 57% of respondents described their hiring outlook as cautious or selective for either key roles or replacement roles, while 23% are hiring normally. Ten percent have frozen hiring, while 6% have accelerated hiring to meet surging demands.

Indeed, 44% said moving recruitment processes to a virtual environment has been more challenging than usual in the past six months, and 42% said making hiring decisions without the benefit of in-person meetings was challenging. Finding candidates willing to change jobs given uncertain economic conditions was said to be the biggest challenge for 39% of respondents.

Additional survey findings

For complete study results by region and industry, including additional data on performance management practices, rewards programs, workforce actions including layoffs and furloughs, the state of hiring, and adjustments to time-off policies, click here.

Diversity, Events, News

myGWork launches #WorkPride – a virtual conference to strengthen LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion

myGwork, the global recruitment and networking organisation for LGBTQ+ professionals, is launching its first global digital conference, #WorkPride, in place of postponed or cancelled flagship LBGTQ+ events.

The aim is to bring together and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and strengthen LGBTQ+ inclusion, during what is a difficult time for many people across the world. The global event will run from 22 – 26 June, 2020.

According to the Trevor Project 2020, LGBTQ+ helplines are experiencing double the amount of calls and many people have lost their jobs due to Covid-19. Research shows that some parts of the LGBTQ+ community feel particularly isolated and at risk.

Pierre Gaubert, CEO and co-founder of myGwork, commented: “The ongoing pandemic has serious implications for the mental health of LGBTQ+ people. With most pride events being postponed or cancelled around the world we want to make sure the LGBTQ+ business community is visible and celebrated. This is a great opportunity for organisations committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion and their employees to come together to continue the conversation about what true equality in the workplace looks like – even from home.”

The conference, powered by Zoom, is aimed at professionals, graduates, and employers, and will provide a forum to showcase and discuss best practice for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.
Each day of the virtual conference will cover a different theme such as mental health and involve interactive sessions including workshops, panel discussions, and online socials, with opportunities for attendees to network and build their contacts.
The UK headline sponsor EY will open the event on Monday 22 June; and Phyll Opoku-Gyimah (Lady Phyll), Executive Director of the Kaleidoscope Trust -the WorkPride conference charity partner-, will close the conference on Friday 26 June.
Adrien Gaubert, CMO and co-founder myGwork, commented: “We are focusing on pride in business because this is what we know best. This is a great opportunity to showcase what organisations and employee resource groups are doing for LGBTQ+ inclusion while learning new skills and bringing people together to combat loneliness, isolation and poor mental health.”

Sandra Thompson, of the EY Unity network – an employee network for the LGBT+ community at EY, commented: “With pride and other key LGBTQ+ events understandably not going ahead as planned this year, virtual conferences such as WorkPride are a great way to ensure that we continue to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. We look forward to being part of this event and having the opportunity to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, and inform ongoing efforts to create an inclusive work environment for all.”

To learn more, please visit www.mygwork.com

Diversity, News

The Valuable 500 calls on global tech sector to act now on disability inclusion

Announced on what would have been the first day of 2020’s cancelled Mobile World Congress, global tech businesses Audi, CGI IT UK, Mastercard, Safaricom, Sky, and trivago have today announced they have joined disability inclusion campaign The Valuable 500.

Launched at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in January 2019, over 250 companies have now committed to The Valuable 500, which hopes to have 500 global business leaders and CEOs signed up to the initiative by the UN General Assembly on the 15th September. This is in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to reduce inequality and create inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities.

The tech sector has shown a particularly strong commitment to the campaign. Alongside the new signups, current members include BT, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, NTT, O2, Orange, Salesforce, SoftBank, Sony, Telefonica, strategic partner of The Valuable 500 Virgin Media, Vimpelcom operating under the Beeline brand, and Vodafone.

As technology becomes increasingly entrenched in daily life, accessibility to the modern digitised world is often restricted and it is critical that this is addressed. The 2019 Click-Away Pound Survey found that in 2019, business lost an estimated £17.1 billion due to people abandoning a retail website because of accessibility barriers – an increase of £5.35 billion since 2016.

There are 7.7 billion people in the world of which 4.8 billion, or 62%, are smart phone and feature phone users – illustrating the importance of inclusive design for the 1.3 billion people globally who have a disability. Features such as speech to text and increased font size have already had a dramatic impact on improving lives for all mobile users. Innovation from apps developers, service providers, device manufacturers all have a fundamental role to play in enhancing the accessible world, and education in the business community around this is needed.

Over 250 companies across 26 countries globally are now part of The Valuable 500, marking the halfway point for the campaign, which is also in active discussion with a further 200 companies. The combined revenue of members is now over $4 trillion, with over 10 million employees.

At Davos last month, The World Economic Forum unveiled The Valuable 500 as a Tier 3 official project partner, as the campaign announced the deadline to join The Valuable 500 campaign is now 15th September 2020, coinciding with this year’s UN General Assembly.

Caroline Casey, Founder of The Valuable 500, commented:

“The technology sector has been enormously supportive of The Valuable 500. We welcome the commitment today from so many high-profile technology companies and celebrate the 250 companies who have pledged to put disability on their board agendas to date.

“It is vital that the tech industry prioritises disability inclusion at a senior level. Inclusion drives innovation, and it is no coincidence that some of our most prominent innovations such as the keyboard or remote control were designed with disability in mind. Much has already been achieved by digital service providers, however, more remains to be done and accessibility for disabled people isn’t an issue on which we can halt progress.

“The technology industry has the potential to be one of the greatest enablers when it comes to disability inclusion, from ensuring accessibility on all devices and online platforms is made readily available to all disability categories, to actively embracing the positive potential of incorporating neurodiversity into the talent pool – and it’s vital this potential is realised.

“I call on the good and the great from across the tech, mobile and telecoms industry to join us in prioritising disability inclusion. Our tech leaders need to design in for disabled people so that the 1.3bn disabled people worldwide can benefit from the same developing technology, have the same latest devices and live in the same real digital world as everyone else.”

Michael Joseph, CEO, Safaricom, commented:

“Operating in a developing nation, we witness first-hand the disproportionate effects of inequality and poverty on People with Disability. Guided by our purpose of Transforming Lives and the Sustainable Development Goals, we are committed to driving the Disability Inclusion agenda in the communities we serve.”

Unveiled at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in January 2019, the launch of The Valuable 500 campaign was the first time disability was discussed on the main stage of the Meeting with the support of global business leaders.

The campaign is supported by several global business leaders and partners, including Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and Chairman of The Valuable 500, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Media Chief Operating Officer Jeff Dodds, Bloomberg Chairman Peter Grauer, EY Global Chairman & CEO Carmine di Sibio, the Poses Foundation, and strategic partners Omnicom and Virgin Media.

For more information please visit: www.thevaluable500.com

Appointments, Diversity

Women on Boards CEO Fiona Hathorn joins Spktral as a non-executive director

Edinburgh-based diversity tech start-up Spktral has announced a number of new appointments, with Fiona Hathorn, CEO Women on Boards (UK) joining the board as a non-executive director.

Spktral launched in November last year with a funding round backed by a number of angel investors including Paul Atkinson, chair of Taranata Group plc. The company has developed a cloud-based platform to help organisations use their data to better understand and address inequality across their workforce.

Spktral offers a number of services, including the preparation of gender pay gap reports. It has also developed a free-to-use application that allows anyone who is interested to view the gender pay gap data for sectors and companies since it became a statutory requirement in 2017. With eight weeks to go until the deadline this year, only around 9% of organisations have reported with the data is showing a marginal improvement on last year.

Spktral has also appointed an advisory board comprising former EY Managing Partner and Head of Talent for UK and Ireland, Liz Bingham OBE; former HR Director of Legal & General Capital Management, Tracey Ashworth-Davies; and Alan Plunkett who led the development and design of the gender pay gap reporting service for gov.uk.

Recognising that more needs to be done to close pay gaps, the UK government is looking to expand the reporting requirements through the Equal Pay Bill which could see organisations with 100 or more employees being required to report on ethnicity, and publish a document requiring them to set out what actions they will take to reduce differences in pay.

According to Fiona Hathorn, too many organisations are still not implementing strategies that will in time close the gap.

“Addressing inequality is complex and requires a concerted effort from management at all levels. The gender pay gap reporting requirements provide organisations and their stakeholders with valuable insights into their progress, and a benchmark from which to work from. Ongoing data analysis and measurement is essential to delivering meaningful change and the reason I joined Spktral”.

Spktral co-founder Innes Miller added,

“Through Fiona’s work with Women on Boards, she brings valuable knowledge of the effective actions organisations can take to address inequality. This coupled with the experience of Liz, Tracey and Alan will provide the thought leadership to expand our services into new areas to ultimately support the needs of business leaders and stakeholders who understand the importance of delivering tangible progress in this area”.

As part of the broader sustainability agenda, organisations are seeing growing pressure from external stakeholders to create fairer and more balanced organisations. Recently, Goldman Sachs announced that it would not IPO companies that could evidence diversity on their boards.

Diversity, Transport

Reflecting on OmniServ’s commitment to elevating team members and passengers with disabilities

Samantha Saunders, Head of Innovation and Regulatory Compliance at OmniServ, discusses how diversity and accessibility is driving improvements across the organisation

Last year saw the company step up its involvement with a number of charities and advocacy organisations to help better understand and continue to provide accessibility for all. Samantha Saunders, Head of Innovation and Regulatory Compliance at OmniServ outlines these first strategic steps, and shares what’s in-store for 2020

As someone who has worked in the aviation industry since 1984, it wasn’t until I took on my first passenger accessibility role that I quickly realised that I needed to do all I could to improve the experience at airports for people with both visible and hidden disabilities. Seeing this environment through a very different lens and having access to the tools and capabilities to drive real change across the aviation industry has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

2019 marked a real step change in OmniServ’s quest to make travel more accessible for all. We see this as a two-pronged mission. Firstly, we have to partner with a variety of organisations and tech providers who can help us enhance the experience of passengers with disabilities. Secondly, by committing to making our own organisation and workforce more diverse, we can better understand how to provide services to passengers with a range of accessibility requirements.

At OmniServ, which is an ABM Company, we believe employing people with disabilities is more than just a moral imperative; it’s also a logical move that strengthens our team. If we’re going to deliver the best possible experience we can for passengers with disabilities, team members with disabilities can contribute particularly valuable skills and insights based on their personal experiences, and they can share that knowledge with the rest of our teams.

This is why 2019 saw OmniServ commit to becoming a ‘Disability Confident Employer,’ a U.K. Government scheme that aims to help employers successfully employ and retain disabled people or those with long-term health issues. We have been firm in our commitment to this cause and are delighted that within a year, we have met the necessary requirements and welcomed in the new decade having been awarded ‘Disability Confident Employer’ Level 2 status.

And what of those initiatives to help raise the standards for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM)? From staff training and partnerships with disability groups to investment in new technology and specialist equipment, here are just some of actions we took:

Colostomy UK and Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) charity partnerships

At the beginning of 2019, we pledged to support two UK charities – Colostomy UK and Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF). We have been working closely with representatives from both charities across the UK to collaborate on various initiatives aimed at helping to improve the airport experience for passengers. We hosted a range of internal and external events from which we donated all proceeds to the charities to support the vital work they carry out to ensure that travel is accessible for everyone, including those with visible or hidden disabilities.

QEF ‘Apprentice’ Challenge

We launched the QEF ‘Apprentice’ Challenge, which took on the style of the popular BBC One programme, ‘The Apprentice’. The challenge saw six teams from OmniServ and our travel retail division, Blackjack Promotions, take over a QEF shop for two hours on a specific day to see who could raise the most money for the charity. The challenge put team members through their paces with everyone trying to sell the highest number of goods across a number of QEF charity shops around Surrey. The teams raised nearly £4000! We are thinking about how we might shape this type of event in the future.

Strategic Founding Partner for the Purple Light Up campaign

Another highlight of 2019 saw us become involved with the global #PLU movement, which works to ensure that disabled employees’ valuable contributions are recognised in the workplace. Being a Purple Light Up Strategic Partner will further enhance our commitment and understanding of how we can deliver a better service built around real experience.

Global Ambassador for #PurpleLightUp movement

I was delighted to be made a global ambassador for the #PurpleLightUp movement – joining a group of hugely inspiring people to help drive the strategy of #PurpleLightUp. I’m already looking forward to getting more of our teams involved in this great event initiative. which recognises the contribution disabled people make in the workplace and to the global economy. As part of this role, I, on behalf of OmniServ, am working to further the aim of PurpleSpace in supporting those employees living with ill health, disability or the repercussions of an accident or injury, and helping them flourish in the workplace.

A particular highlight for me was getting to lead OmniServ’s plans for #PurpleLightUp Day on December 3, a global solidarity campaign which aligns with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Since 2018, the airports we serve have celebrated the day in style, either by lighting terminal buildings such as control towers in purple or handing purple flowers to passengers. Members of our ABM teams in the U.S. even took part, wearing purple T-shirts proudly promoting the event. This year, we also displayed bunting and posters across Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted and Edinburgh Airport terminals, as well as distributed briefing sheets outlining the support services available to passengers travelling with a disability or impairment.

Joining ‘The Valuable 500’ global movement

As 2019 drew to a close, OmniServ joined The Valuable 500, an amazing business-to-business initiative working to increase awareness of the benefits and need to ensure that disability inclusion is driven at a company’s board level. This global movement is putting disability on the global business leadership agenda by calling for the 500 of the most influential business leaders and their brands to ignite systemic change by unlocking the value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world. Our commitment to introduce work experience and extend our current supported internships programme specifically for young persons with disabilities is a very exciting opportunity to bring young talent and fresh ideas into our business. We stand proudly, shoulder to shoulder, with global enterprises such as Boeing, Fujitsu, CITI and Ernst & Young.

TfL ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ campaign

In recognising that inclusion needs to be seamless, I felt it was important that OmniServ join the Department for Transports (DfT) ‘It’s Everyone’s Journey’ initiative. This programme is aimed at the general public, and therefore is a key addition to the B2B focused organisations we are already involved with. We’ve been on a focused inclusion journey for the last couple of years, and we are well placed to help show that by being a little more ‘human’ towards each other, we improve public transport accessibility for all. This awareness campaign is committed to setting a new travel standard and has been executed with a sense of charm and humour rather than being preachy or accusatory in tone – and we’re glad to be a part of this in helping to spread the message.

Off the back of a great year of success striving for Disability Confident Employer status, this is still only just the beginning of journey. We will continue to make every effort to ensure that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. This path is one that I am proud to be leading OmniServ down and we will continue to launch and get involved in a range of initiatives to ensure that travel and employment opportunities can be accessible for everyone.

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