Amid the fevered debate about the UK government’s welfare reforms and the wider, international attempts to unravel Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) activities in the workplace, it’s maybe worth trying to deflate the political football
The faceless nature of opposition to all things DE&I is a key element behind efforts to dismantle it. People don’t see the need for positive moves to promote DE&I because, as far as they can see, their circle of friends doesn’t include anybody who needs support.
If the question is “Why bother?”, then there are a number of answers. The main one is that it’s the right thing to do, but the one which is more likely to appeal to the doubters is that it can improve society, communities, businesses and profits.
Overcoming societal challenges of living with a disability
All sorts of people have overcome the challenges of living with a disability on their way to achieving great success and making life so much better for others.
Sir Winston Churchill is variously reported to have lived with a hearing impairment and speech impediment and to have experienced several strokes. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was blind in one eye. Franklin D Roosevelt used a wheelchair.
In business, Henry Ford was dyslexic, and so is Richard Branson. Countless entertainers are living with impairments, and that number will only increase as they continue to perform well past pension age! In sport, the entire Paralympic movement has grown from recognising the immense value of making adjustments to create a level playing field.
Two recent news stories illustrate people overcoming their disability to contribute to society. In each case, it was clear that the individual could not have prospered if left to their own devices.
Scottish pop star Lewis Capaldi thrilled thousands of fans at Glastonbury this year with a show which was all the more remarkable for sealing his comeback after the difficulties of two years ago. In 2023, the BBC reported he lost his voice and experienced pronounced tics resulting from Tourette’s Syndrome.
On his return, he told fans: “The last two years haven’t been the best for me. It’s been difficult at times. This has been my goal, to get back here, doing this.”
The media also picked up on the story of Lord Mackinlay of Richborough, the first quadruple amputee to sit in the House of Lords. A former MP, Lord Mackinlay had both his legs and arms amputated last December after contracting sepsis.
He told the BBC he had tried multiple different private manufacturers of prosthetics, but there was a “postcode lottery” when it came to “access to the right prosthetics at the right time” on the NHS.
While some in society are quick to write off disabled people, there are many people in business, politics and other professions and careers who, just like Lord Mackinlay, can thrive if given the opportunity.
In Lord Mackinlay’s case, his colleagues and contacts can continue to draw on the experience and expertise from his years as an MP. But Lord Mackinlay himself alludes to others being less fortunate, and it is that inequity which effective DE&I can help to address.
Disabled people bring specific insight into businesses
It’s absolutely the case that disabled people bring specific insight into businesses and the wider environment that non-disabled people lack. If you have disabled clients and customers, it benefits your business to have members of staff who share the lived experience of disability.
The Purple Pound is one example of how businesses can help themselves by helping others. Calculated as being worth £274bn every year, the Purple Pound is the term applied to the spending power of disabled people and their companions, and it shows how they add value to businesses and society.
If six people turn up for dinner and your restaurant can’t accommodate the wheelchair user, you lose all of them. And they won’t be back until you make your premises accessible.
The impact of a progressive approach to DE&I is also about convenience for all. Much of what has been introduced to make places accessible to disabled people also helps the non-disabled community.
Inclusive environments
Look at the entrances to shopping centres. Automatic doors were originally fitted to improve accessibility for disabled people, but they benefit everybody – people laden with shopping, people pushing prams – and most people head straight for them.
Signage is another good example. Good signage, which is designed well and displayed clearly, assists people who can’t read, and it can help everyone get around more quickly.
Audible announcements in lifts benefit everybody, not just people who are visually impaired. You might not be paying attention when the lift stops, or you might not be able to see the indicators in the lift or the signage on the landing.
How popular are taps that you have to twist? It’s hard to think of anybody who wouldn’t rather use a lever.
There is something of a culture which dismisses anybody who has an impairment as a burden on the state, but we should think instead about the things they can do if they can live and work in an inclusive environment.
There may be many things that a wheelchair user can’t do, but there are so many tasks that they can take on. All we have to do is make their journey and their workplace accessible, and DE&I is all about giving people that equity of opportunity.
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