Organisations and individuals dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive world for disabled people were recognised at this year’s Disability Smart Impact Awards.
Organised by Business Disability Forum (BDF), the event was held yesterday (29 April) at HSBC’s London headquarters. BDF’s CEO Diane Lightfoot alongside KPMG’s Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), John McCalla-Leacy hosted the inspiring event.
“In today’s challenging geopolitical climate, it’s encouraging to read and hear about the incredible work being done by organisations and individuals across the globe on disability inclusion and the positive impact on so many people’s lives,” shared Lightfoot. “We hope our winners’ stories will help other organisations to begin their own disability inclusion journey. We look forward to seeing the difference that they have made to employees, customers and service users at next year’s awards.”
CELEBRATING DISABILITY INCLUSION IMPACT
Now in its twelfth year, the Disability Smart Impact Awards is an annual event open to organisations of any size across all sectors worldwide. The awards celebrate the impact of disability inclusion, recognising individuals and organisations that make a real and lasting difference to the lives of disabled people by removing barriers to inclusion.
The winner of the Inclusive Communications Award, Romano Sandee, Founder of Dutch-based Stichting Uit met Autisme (Out With Autism), said: “This award is a recognition of what we work on every day. For many people, leisure time does not begin with relaxation, but with the question of whether something is manageable at all. That is exactly why we make expectations visible, so people experience more control and less stress. That this mission is now recognised and valued internationally means a great deal.”
Accessible Housing Scotland won the Customer Experience Award for small organisations. “We’re genuinely honoured to receive this award, especially from an organisation that puts disabled people and real-world impact at its forefront,” shared the company’s Director, Michael Connolly. “We’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing families and clients, and this award really belongs to them as much as it does to us. Their trust, their resilience and their stories are what drive everything that we do.”
DISABILITY SMART IMPACT AWARDS 2026 WINNERS
Both organisations and individuals were honoured across 14 categories, alongside a Lifetime Achievement Award, at this year’s awards. They included:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Lyn Lee, DEI strategist, speaker and author, scooped the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Lee spent more than 22 years as Shell’s Chief DEI Officer and was also their Senior Disability Champion. Since leaving Shell at the end of 2024, she has continued to drive disability inclusion more widely as the first and leading supporter of BDF’s new global assessment. Today, Lee is a public speaker on leadership, culture and inclusion.
Leader Award
Winner: Iain Wilkie, 50 Million Voices, for speaking up for people worldwide with a stammer, transforming their world of work and turning words into action.
Runners-up: Amy Nicholas from Morgan’s Butchery and Marc Powell from Unilever.
Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award
Winner: Will King, Digital Head of Human Resources, Evtec Automotive Ltd, for being the driving force behind Evtec’s Disability Inclusion Transformation. This organisation-wide initiative has reshaped the company’s culture, systems and workforce experience.
Runners-up: Ross Hovey of Lloyds Banking Group and Sharon Extance of Freeths.
Accessible Built Environment Award
Winner: Lilly, for its global accessibility programme, Access Lilly, which has transformed its workplaces into accessible spaces that benefit everyone.
Runners-up: Homelands Trust (Fife) and Amazon Italy.
Technology Award (large organisation +250 employees)
Technology Award (small organisation fewer than 250 employees)
Winner: Diverse Made Media, for its world-first wheelchair camera system, CAERUS. This innovative wheelchair is removing barriers in film and television, empowering disabled creatives to step behind the camera as independent operators.
Runners-up: Mobility Mojo and SensePilot.
Customer Experience Award (large organisation +250 employees)
Winner: Lloyds Banking Group, for its Inclusive Design Panel, which has directly influenced solutions such as Read Only Internet Banking. This supports vulnerable and disabled customers, ensuring they receive assistance without losing their independence.
Runner-up: Durham University
Customer Experience Award (fewer than 250 employees)
Winner: Accessible Housing Scotland. This initiative provides disabled people and their families with personalised support to navigate the housing market in a practical and informed way.
Runners-up: Thrive Together Aberdeen and Greenwich + Docklands International Festival.
Global Disability Inclusion Award
Winner: Unilever, for its Global Accessibility Centre of Excellence (CoE), which embeds accessibility into the heart of its workplaces, brand experiences and culture. This initiative goes beyond compliance to deliver measurable, scalable impact through technology, design and innovation.
Runners-up: Bupa and Sutherland.
Product Design Award
Winner: Sensory Shine, a small business dedicated to making essential oral hygiene routines more accessible, dignified and achievable for people who experience barriers to conventional oral care.
Runners-up: Intotum and Sekond Skin Society.
Procurement Award
Winner: BBC, for its organisation-wide transformation in procurement practices. This initiative ensures accessibility is embedded from the earliest decision points and sustained throughout the lifetime of technology contracts.
Runner-up: Barclays
Workplace Experience Award (250+ employees)
Winner: Sutherland, for creating a workplace that removes barriers before they arise and supports employees at every stage of their career journey. The approach redesigns how people arrive, work, stay healthy and grow, ensuring the environment carries responsibility for inclusion, not the individual.
Runners-up: Garanti BBVA and BCLP.
Workplace Experience Award (up to 250 employees)
Winner: Happy Smiles, for its passion and agility in creating a workplace rooted in trust, flexibility and lived experience, challenging traditional models that can be detrimental to disabled people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Runners-up: Tilting the Lens and Evtec Automotive.
Recruitment Award
Winner: BBC, for its evidence-led Extend programme. This initiative uses accessible recruitment practices to open employment opportunities for deaf, disabled and neurodiverse talent across the BBC.
Runners-up: Curiously Divergent and KPMG.
Inclusive Communication Award
Winner: Stichting Uit met Autisme. This international knowledge and assessment platform improves access to leisure for autistic and sensory-sensitive people. The organisation assesses leisure locations and activities based on sensory factors such as noise, crowds, lighting, transitions, waiting times and recovery options. These insights are translated into clear, practical and decision-ready information that supports preparation, autonomy and informed choice.
Runners-up: Sony Europe and Worley.
You can find out more about this year’s winners and finalists here.
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