Expert speakers at the Business Disability Forum’s (BDF) Global Conference warned employers against sidelining disability inclusion as economic pressures, political headwinds and the rapid advance of AI create new risks of exclusion for millions of workers and consumers.
Speaking at the BDF’s global conference yesterday (Thursday 20th November), the organisation’s chief executive, Diane Lightfoot, said disability inclusion remained a “serious business issue” that global companies could not afford to deprioritise, even as budgets tighten.
“Younger workers expect diversity and support,” she told delegates. “And customers expect accessible products and services. But disability champions are swimming against a tide of global variations in regulation, compliance and culture – and a corrosive narrative that says disability inclusion is not important.”
Lightfoot urged senior leaders to resist retreating from disability inclusion commitments. She argued that focusing on small but targeted improvements could still deliver meaningful change. “Identify priorities where you can see progress rather than trying to do everything,” she said. “Getting it right is not just commercially smart – in many cases it’s a legal requirement.”
RISING PRESSURES OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
The conference, supported this year by HSBC, brought together senior figures from multinational companies, international agencies and disability organisations to discuss how to maintain global accessibility standards during a period of political and economic uncertainty.
Carolanne Minashi, HSBC’s Global Head of Inclusion, said companies risked leaving disabled people behind unless they designed products and services with accessibility “baked in” from the outset. “This is a chance for practitioners to come together to discuss how we achieve meaningful progress and the opportunities that change can present,” she said.
Speakers acknowledged that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) teams are facing growing pressure, with restructures and redundancies reported across several sectors.
Amy Whalley, Chief Executive of the Australian Disability Network, said the strain was evident. “DEI practitioners are going through tough times,” she said. “But disability inclusion isn’t just an HR issue. Organisations must also consider how inclusive they are of disabled customers. Embedding accessibility into services and products benefits existing employees too.”
AI IMPACT ON DISABILITY INCLUSION
The conference also focused on the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence (AI). Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, warned that the speed of technological change risked entrenching inequality unless disabled people were directly involved in shaping AI systems.
“Every company needs to be thoughtful to make sure they are building for everyone, especially in the era of AI,” she said. “We all benefit and move faster if we work together.”
Lightfoot cautioned that biased or incomplete datasets could lead to disabled people being “overlooked” by AI systems trained on normative profiles. “If AI products are not inclusive by design, people with disabilities risk being excluded or left behind,” she said.
Yet she argued that AI could also unlock unprecedented improvements in workplace adjustments, citing advances in automated captioning and personalised support tools. “Our focus must be on making sure we are getting it right for everyone,” she added.
BETTER POLICIES NEEDED
Alongside corporate commitments, speakers stressed the need for stronger – and better implemented – public policy. Jurgen Menze, disability inclusion specialist at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, said disability-specific legislation remained essential but insufficient. “We need to look at the wider labour market,” he said. “If laws and public policies beyond the disability angle are not designed inclusively, they will indirectly discriminate.”
Menze warned that although the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires such support, many governments still fail to give employers basic guidance on reasonable adjustments. “Civil society needs to hold governments accountable,” he said.
A GLOBAL CHALLENGE WITH LOCAL CONSEQUENCES
The event featured speakers from Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, the UK, France and the US, reflecting the complex and uneven landscape facing multinationals that operate across markets with sharply different accessibility standards.
Sessions examined the implications of the upcoming European Accessibility Act, the difficulties of maintaining consistent global policies, and the risks for businesses that fall short as consumers become more vocal about exclusion.
BDF urged organisations to draw on its Knowledge Hub for practical guidance. It argued that companies that stay the course will be better equipped to attract talent, innovate responsibly and serve diverse markets.
As Lightfoot put it: “It’s about making it easy for as many people as possible to spend their money with you – and to participate fully in the workplace.”
Other expert speakers at this year’s BDF conference included:
- Wolfgang Kowatsch, Managing Director, myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH (Austria)
- Abi James, Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant, Barclays plc (UK)
- Neil Milliken, Global Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion, Atos (UK)
- Christopher Patnoe, Lead for EMEA Accessibility & Disability Innovation, Google (UK)
- Donna Bungard, Director of Accessibility, Indeed (USA)
- Marc Powell, Global Accessibility Centre of Excellence Lead, Unilever (UK)
- Surali Siriwardene, Private Bank Head of Change Execution & WPS COO, HSBC (Hong Kong)
- Christina Jones, VP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Shell plc (USA)
- Paula Aitkenhead, Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Global Lead, Schneider Electric (France)
For more information on this year’s conference from BDF click here, and for more on BDF’s latest research and focus areas click here.
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