Amplifying disabled leadership in employment

This 3 December marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024 (IDPD 2024). 

The United Nations theme for this year is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. We explore this theme in relation to employment and the workplace.

Disability in the workplace 

Workplace disability efforts often focus a lot of attention on getting “in” and “on”, the recruitment and employment of disabled people. Could we do more in terms of workplace progression and going “up”, to help amplify the leadership of disabled people? 

The Disability Confident scheme is a three-stage process encouraging employers to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. It includes progression as a criteria at Level 2 and 3: “Ensuring there are no barriers to the development and progression of disabled staff”. The examples Disability Confident give of how to do this include removing barriers to team meetings, communications, encouraging progression and additional responsibilities, monitoring progression rates, providing training and coaching, and removing unforeseen barriers like location or travel. We would add mentoring, buddying and development programmes targeted at disabled employees to the list. 

Developing the disabled leaders of tomorrow, today 

Amplifying the leadership of disabled people is key when it comes to inclusion. It can be achieved through organisations supporting the learning and development of their Employee Resource Group and Disabled Employee Network leads and chairs. PurpleSpace is a networking and professional development hub for disabled employees, network and resource group leaders and allies. Leaders can access support such as peer leadership roundtables, resources and networking with other leaders. This helps create a community of disabled leaders for now and for the future. 

For current disabled leaders that have progressed in their career to senior levels, they may still face a disadvantage, for example to their pay. The Office for National Statistic reports the Disability pay gaps. In the UK in 2023 the pay gap between disabled and non-disabled employees was 12.7%. The “managers, directors and senior officials” group had one of the widest disability pay gaps at 11.1%. Such disconnects suggest organisations still need to ensure barriers are removed when disabled people progress. 

Mandatory disability pay gap reporting is included for larger companies in the Government’s recent policy document Next Steps to Make Work Pay that accompanied the draft Employment Rights Bill. This will be delivered through the Government’s Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. If mandatory reporting is introduced effectively and in consultation with disabled people and employers, then it has potential for positive impact. It’ll be interesting to see what the data says in relation to the disability pay gap and progression. Achieving amplification for disabled leaders cannot be authentically achieved without also tackling any existing disadvantage in the workplace. 

Last year our analysis with the Press Association on the 2021 Census data showed that only 6.3% (7,780 people) employed as Chief Executives and Senior Officials self-reported as being disabled in the Census. This drops down to 1.1% (1,350 people) for those who classify themselves as “limited a lot”. In relation to the most senior leadership roles in the country, Elected Office, disabled people are an under-represented group in Parliament. There are still significant barriers for disabled people in becoming Parliamentary Candidates. The last Government pledged to “support both the recruitment and retention of disabled people in elected office” under its Disability Action Plan but failed to deliver ahead of this year's election. We are yet to hear how the new Government will pick up the baton. 

We recently welcomed the Government's focus under “Get Britain Working” on addressing the barriers to work. It's crucial that the proposed National Jobs and Careers Service and wider new initiatives under the plan, such as the Youth Guarantee, take a disability inclusive approach and are tailored to individuals. At the same time, disabled people are concerned about upcoming plans to review health and disability benefits. Any changes must ensure a safety net remains for the many disabled people desperate to start their careers or remain in work and fulfil their potential, but are currently locked out of the labour market due to barriers.

Playing our part in shaping disabled leaders 

We aim to lead by example when it comes to developing the careers of disabled people. Leonard Chesire’s Change 100 our flagship programme of paid summer internships, professional development and mentoring, is now well into its second decade. With over 1,300 interns so far, we’ve seen much career progression into leadership following the internships. We recently had the pleasure to work with one of our interns from yesteryear. They not only went on to secure a permanent position with the employer they had the internship with, but were promoted to management, and this included managing a Change 100 intern that followed in their footsteps. It’s a real delight to follow other interns’ careers as they progress to other senior and leadership roles.

What then can disabled leaders do to make an inclusive and sustainable future in employment? 

Disabled leaders can lead the way on disability culture in their organisations for an inclusive future. The stories they tell, the lived experience, the topics upon topics, whether to share information, words and language, branding and representation, vulnerability, giving low expectations “the boot”, the importance of inclusion and defining the internal narrative on workplace adjustments. Disabled leaders can shape the workplace culture and experience.

Beyond the culture there’s the business of, well, business! The inclusive future being ever worked towards across each organisation’s teams and structures: from recruitment, employment, services, communications, buildings and the digital platforms and websites. Leaders in each area should keep reviewing, planning and improving disability performance to remove barriers and ensure accessibility and inclusion. Whilst placing disabled people and their experiences at the front and centre of improvement. All leaders, disabled or not, are part of creating the inclusive future of each organisation.

Regarding the sustainable future, we’re increasingly seeing the rise of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts and reporting as a measure of the sustainability and ethical impact of an organisation, for investors, customers, and employees. The need for barrier free environments, an inclusive social experience for disabled employees, and disabled people in governance, aren’t new ideas or considerations. ESG measures need to consider disability inclusion which brings us back to the theme of this year’s IDPD – amplifying disabled leaders’ voices to influence a sustainable future.

We need those disabled leaders’ voices as organisations look to respond sustainably to climate change. The Disability Debrief, by Peter Torres Fremlin, has written extensively about disability and the environment with a library of information on Climate Change and Disability. The impacts and responses to climate change will impact on people with different conditions in innumerable ways. Natural disaster management must fully consider the experiences of disabled people as part of the response, such as people with physical, visual and hearing impairments, neurodivergent and mental health conditions that experience disasters like floods and fires. Whilst for some disabled people plastic medical or assistive items, such as medication dispensers, colostomy bags, straws, toilet and washing facilities, are essential to health, independence and living life. Lived experience is essential for ensuring organisations’ climate actions are disability inclusive.

There’s plenty for us all to be getting on with. However, it would be remiss not to end by focusing on what IDPD 2024 will be for many of us: an opportunity to celebrate disabled people in the workplace. So go on, amplify your disabled colleagues today and always for an inclusive and sustainable future. 

How will you be celebrating IDPD 2024?