Business Disability Forum

In the third episode of the podcast, our CEO Diane Lightfoot explores the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on disabled people, considering how it has interacted with the extra costs of being disabled. The discussion covers the 'disability price tag', the impact of rising costs of essential goods and services, and why disabled people may be more affected than most. The guests debate how the situ...

Diane Lightfoot delves into the debate surrounding the business motivations for disability inclusion: does it matter if businesses are only trying to make themselves look good if they are affecting positive change? Peter Torres Fremlin and Birgit Neu shed light on whether purple-washing is a hindrance or a help.

Business Disability Forum’s Disability Today podcast series will discuss the issues that affect us now, and will be part of our reality tomorrow. All too often, disabled people are overlooked and forgotten when considering what the future holds, and the challenges the world faces today. Leading experts will join Business Disability Forum CEO Diane Lightfoot to discuss how disabled people and busin...

If You Don't Mind Me Asking... Season 2 Recap by Business Disability Forum

In the last episode of the series, we're talking workplace adjustments (accommodations). We're joined by PwC graduate apprentice Morgan McArthur and Graeme Crook, from PwC's IT and digital accessibility team. Morgan tells us about the impact of her multiple disabilities including dyslexia and a recent ADHD diagnosis, on her university study and work. She talks very positively about her recruitment...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode talks about the loss of a child and bereavement in general. This is the second of a two-part episode, where Chantel Emery, (BDF Advice Service Officer) who has lived experience of disability and Karan Snuggs (BDF Business Partner) who originally trained as a nurse and bereavement counsellor, join Lucy and Dan to talk about grief and loss. We'd advise you listen to or...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode talks about the loss of a child and bereavement in general. In the first of this two-part episode, Chantel Emery, (BDF Advice Service Officer) who has lived experience of disability and Karan Snuggs (BDF Business Partner) who originally trained as a nurse and bereavement counsellor, join Lucy and Dan to talk about grief and loss. They discuss the impact of an acquired...

Peter Torres Fremlin is the Editor of Disability Debrief, a weekly newsletter which 'sees world news through a disability lens'. In this episode, he talks to Lucy and Dan about his experiences of disability working in international development, how the challenges and often innovative solutions vary in different places and prevalent global trends and challenges affecting disabled people.

Linda Pike works in global cybersecurity for BT. She acquired several permanent health conditions after contracting encephalitis. She talks to Lucy and Dan about how she manages these multiple conditions, how adding menopause to the mix has affected her, why she's happy to be part of BT's Able to Network signposting colleagues to support and the challenges of navigating less-visible disabilities.

Isaac Harvey MBE joins Lucy and Dan to talk about his many roles - content creator, video editor, President of Wheels and Wheelchairs, disability advocate, Patron of Happy Smiles, Fashion Week model and more - and why he's become much more vocal about disability on his social channels.

If You Don't Mind Me Asking... - Episode 9 - Season Recap by Business Disability Forum

In the last episode of this series, Lucy and Dan are joined by Business Disability Forum Advice Service Officer Chantel Emery who talks about her extraordinary journey from a life-changing car accident, the birth of her quadruplets, to dealing with loss, gratitude and learning to live for each day.

In this episode, Lucy is joined by Global Head of Disability Inclusion, Thoughtworks and Digital Accessibility Advocate Matthew Johnston, who talks about how accessible technology has impacted his life.

In episode 6, Lucy and Dan are joined by Business Disability Forum’s George Wright, who like millions of other people in the UK, is still having to take extra precautions around COVID-19. George speaks about how lockdown and the recent return to ‘normal’ has affected her everyday life.

In this episode, Lucy and Dan are joined by activist, writer, researcher and public speaker Heather Lacey who talks about her experiences with cerebral palsy, chronic pain, fatigue and mobility issues: “Disabled people are not going away... we are at least one in five of your workforces, and we need to make sure that there's always things progressing and changing and there's room for improvement.....

In this episode, Lucy and Dan are joined by LaMondre Pough, CEO of Billion Strong, an organisation aimed at empowering disabled people all over the world. Lamondre talks about his early childhood, how dangerous assumptions can potentially change the trajectory of a person’s life and career and the positive influence of his mother and sister.

If You Don't Mind Me Asking... - Ep 3 - Michael Vermeersch by Business Disability Forum

Actress, author and disability campaigner Samantha Renke talks about her work, life, great shopping experiences, her innate confidence, working with Fearne Cotton on her new book and more.

In Episode 1 of “If you don’t mind me asking…” Lucy Ruck and Daniel Cadey interview each other about their own lived experiences of disability. Please feel free to “like” the episode and share your thoughts in the comments section. Also listen at: https://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/knowledge-hub/resources/if-you-dont-mind-me-asking/

Business Disability Forum’s Disability Business Partner Courtney Swaby shares his story around mental health with CEO Diane Lightfoot.

The nominations for The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 are open, so our CEO Diane Lightfoot spoke to previous nominees Natasha Trotman, Shani Dhanda, Adi Latif and Samantha Renke to ask about what being on the list has meant to them. Diane is also joined by Clare Gray, Organisational Lead for Disability Advocacy at Shaw Trust who explains the importance of the list and why you should nominate som...

In this episode, Diane Lightfoot spoke with David Oldfield Lloyds Banking Group Executive Champion about best practice on disability inclusion, why David is so passionate about being a disability champion and the importance of senior leaders in this area.

In this episode, Diane Lightfoot speaks with Lexxic founder Nicola James about her personal experience with dyslexia, the pros and cons of neurodiverse labels in the workplace and Nicola gives advice on how to access assessments.

In this episode, Diane Lightfoot speaks to Stuart Blair who works for texthelp in their workplace solutions team. Stuart explains to positive impact working for home has on employees with neurodiverse conditions. The support that business can put in place to ensure everyone can access the technology they need and what texthelp has done to make sure users can access their services.

Business Disability Debates with Diane Lightfoot and Dr Nancy Doyle by Business Disability Forum