The winners of the Disability Smart Awards 2023 were announced last night (27 April) at an awards ceremony hosted by Business Disability Forum (BDF) and sponsored by Microlink.
The Disability Smart Awards recognise the work of teams and individuals who have gone above and beyond to improve the experiences of disabled people.
Ten Disability Smart Awards were presented this year. These were across the areas of workplace and customer experience, learning and development, product design, built environment, technology and leadership. Winners included global brands, a UK charity, a social enterprise, a regional airport, and a local police force.
The Disability Smart Lifetime Achievement Award went to David Oldfield, Group Chief Operating Officer at Lloyds Banking Group. He won the award for his ongoing commitment to helping organisations just starting out on their disability inclusion journey and using his own experiences to discuss mental health at a senior level.
CELEBRATING DISABILITY INCLUSION
“I want to congratulate all of the 2023 winners and finalists. Their actions have significantly improved opportunities and life experiences for many disabled people,” stated Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum. “We hope the awards show what is possible and will encourage all businesses to aim higher on disability inclusion.”
The event was hosted by both Diane Lightfoot, and Simon Minty, a long-standing Ambassador of Business Disability Forum, a disability trainer and consultant, and a TV personality.
DISABILITY SMART AWARDS WINNERS 2023
The full list of winners and finalists of the Disability Smart Awards 2023 (by category), include:
Disability Smart Accessible Built Environment
Winner: Avon & Somerset Police
Finalists: Lloyds Banking Group, Marsham Court Hotel, and GSK (Highly commended)
Disability Smart Diversity and Inclusion Professional
Winner: Sat Jabanda-Wilson, Virgin Media O2
Finalists: Ruel Ramirez (Shell), Wael S. Alomari (Saudi Aramco)and Lydia Stott (Cooper Parry- Highly commended)
Disability Smart Inclusive Communication
Winner: HSBC
Finalists: Unilever, schuh
Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Service
Winner: MAG East Midlands Airport
Finalists: Motability Operations Ltd, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and Hull Truck Theatre (Highly commended)
Disability Smart Inclusive Product Design Award
Winner: Proctor & Gamble
Finalists: Microsoft, Designability, and Unhidden (Highly commended)
Disability Smart Inclusive Recruitment Award
Winner: KPMG in the UK
Finalists: Ford India Private Ltd (Sanand Engine Plant), Leeds City Council, and HSBC UK (Highly commended)
Disability Smart Inclusive Workplace Experience Award
Winner: EvenBreak
Finalists: BT Group, Charlotte Street Hotel (Firmdale Hotels)
Disability Smart Leader Award
Winner: Claire Cookson, DFN Project SEARCH
Finalists: Neil Milliken (Atos), Julia Dunn (HSBC UK) and Jules Hussey (Brazen Productions – Highly commended)
Disability Smart Learning & Development Award
Winner: HSBC
Finalists: Google Inc, Lloyds Banking Group and Make Real, and Atos (Highly commended)
Disability Smart Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: David Oldfield, Group Chief Operating Officer, Lloyds Banking Group
Disability Smart Technology Award
Winner: Amazon
Finalists: Sky, Signapse, and XRAI Glass (Highly commended)
You can find out more about the award winners and their stories on the Disability Smart Awards 2023 section of Business Disability Forum’s website.
RELATED ARTICLES
Business Disability Forum’s CEO Diane Lightfoot shares why we need to get better at listening to the experiences of disabled people.
Celebrating disability smart champions on international Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) celebrates the winners of its 2022 awards.
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