Let’s talk inclusion: A Q&A with Business Disability Forum

That’s why we’re proud to work with Business Disability Forum (BDF), the UK’s leading membership organisation dedicated to disability inclusion.

We spoke with Sarah Eason, Head of Membership at BDF, to hear her insights on the organisation’s mission, the progress being made across businesses and the steps companies like E.ON can take to better support disabled employees and customers.

From practical guidance to inspiring success stories, Sarah shares how BDF is helping shape a more accessible and equitable future for all.

What is Business Disability Forum?

Business Disability Forum is the leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. Our mission is to drive equity and remove barriers to inclusion for disabled people as employees and consumers, by partnering with business, Government and policymakers.

We support our 600 plus Member and Partner organisations to attract, retain and develop disabled talent in their organisation and better serve their disabled customers and service users. We do this not only because it is the right thing to do, but because research proves that more inclusive businesses are better and more profitable businesses.

Our Members represent over 8 million employees across the globe. We share the experiences of our Members, and the disabled people they employ and serve. We also used these experiences to shape the advice and resources, we offer. Our evidence-based research helps to inform the work of government and policy makers, ensuring disabled people’s experiences are front and centre of everything we do.

Can you tell us about the services BDF offers?

We provide our Members and Partners with a range of tailored support and advice to help their organisation set and achieve their disability inclusion goals, so they can better meet the needs of their disabled employees, customers and service users.

Our Members have access to Business Disability Forum’s Knowledge Hub where their employees can read and download hundreds of resources to support all aspects of disability inclusion from best practice guidance for line managers to advice on offering workplace adjustments, making your communications accessible and inclusive and considering the needs of disabled people in your procurement processes.

We also run a full calendar of events, many of which are open to non-members, where we discuss the latest issues and learn from the experiences of businesses and disabled people. We also host regular networks and taskforces, connecting specific sectors on their journey to becoming Disability Smart.

What have been some of the recent highlights of BDF’s work?

It was a great moment for BDF to surpass the 600 organisations in Membership and Partnership last year. This demonstrates the importance that organisations are placing on diversity, equality and inclusion and the great news is that where businesses include and represent disabled employees and customers, by default, they are making things better for everyone.

Last year, we also launched BDF's ‘Changing the image of disability’ image bank and guidance to help improve the portrayal of disability and disabled people in business communication and in media and advertising. These are relevant, authentic and everyday images showing people with a full range of visible and less-visible disabilities. It’s great to see the images being used so widely by both our Members and media organisations. They have been so popular another 250 images have been added to represent disabled people in specific sectors, including retail and transport.

We are also really proud of our ‘Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey’.  One of the most comprehensive pieces of research ever conducted into workplace experiences of disabled people.

I can’t talk about the highlights without mentioning Business Disability Forum’s annual Disability Smart Awards. The awards showcase the best examples of projects that have made a tangible difference to the lives of disabled people with the aim of encouraging all businesses to do better on disabled inclusion. It’s amazing to find out about the incredible progress that large and small businesses from all sectors are making especially within the consumer space.

Where organisations are improving the accessibility of their products, services and online systems, disabled consumers are making the deliberate choice to spend their money with these organisations, and everyone is benefitting.

What are some of the biggest challenges for BDF?

Disability is often seen as something that affects someone else, when disability impacts all of us in one way or another. One in four people in the UK live with a disability or long-term condition, for example, and up to 80 per cent of disabilities are not immediately visible.

It is also important to remember that many people who have a disability may not identify with the term ‘disabled’. We want to empower organisations to feel equipped and confident to begin the conversation.  Don’t worry if you don’t always get it right but do begin the conversation, start the journey and realise that an inclusive culture is good for everyone as well as the business bottom line.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing people with disabilities and how are you working to overcome these?

Society and its structures create many barriers for those living with a disability or long-term condition to overcome. Many people may not realise the challenges that inaccessible policies, processes and products have on the experience of disabled employees and consumers.

Our research with disabled consumers shows that many utilities companies provide products and services that rely on customers being able to access online platforms, but have businesses thought about how accessible these are? What barriers have your online processes created and how many disabled customers are you excluding from accessing your products and services.

At Business Disability Forum we support our Members to remove these barriers. We focus on the employment and consumer landscape for disabled people and the power of making change by improving the inclusivity and accessibility of the workplace, products and services so everyone is included and the business benefits from the talents of disabled employees and the power of the purple pound!

How is BDF working with E.ON to improve experiences for disabled people?

Understanding disability has been a priority for E.ON and is the focus of its work with Business Disability Forum. Through its BDF membership, E.ON is working to become a Disability Confident Leader, which means that E.ON is committed to making the recruitment and progression of disabled people a priority within the business.

BDF Business Partner, Courtney Swaby, is working closely with colleagues at E.ON to help them consider disability inclusion across the organisation – where things are going well and where improvements can be made. We are also providing training to help the organisation understand the key role line managers play in supporting disabled colleagues. Alongside this, we are also offering advice on the adjustments that some disabled people need and how these can benefit both employees and customers.

What advice would you give to organisations that are looking to better meet the needs of disabled people?

Talk to your disabled employees and customers. Find out what their experience of working for you and accessing your services or products is like. What are the barriers they face and what are you doing well. Then work out a plan for removing those barriers. Make sure disabled people are consulted and provide feedback throughout.

I would also always recommend having a conversation with BDF. Find out if our expert advice, resources, events and networks are something that will support your business to be better. Ensuring that you meet the needs of all your disabled employees, customers and service users is imperative if you want to be an inclusive and successful business. Don’t forget BDF has many free resources and guidance available to support anyone interested in being an ally and upskilling their disability inclusion knowledge. We also have a free resource to help you make the case for disability inclusion within your organisation. 

What advice would you give to colleagues and customer facing staff when supporting disabled people?

Line managers and customer facing staff are the ‘frontline’ of disability inclusion, so it is essential that they have a basic awareness of disability. Not so they are disability experts, but so they can create the environment for a supportive conversation or know how to effectively respond to the needs of disabled customers.

All E.ON employees have access to our Knowledge Hub which is full of practical on-the-ground support to allow individuals to upskill themselves. We also have best practice resources specific to job roles and business areas.

For anyone whose organisation is not a Member of BDF, check out the free resources we have available. Our Disability Essentials resource, for example, provides advice on delivering inclusive and accessible customer service as well as communicating effectively, providing services to disabled people in their homes and how to overcome the barriers that people with specific conditions experience, so you don’t compromise the service you deliver and the experience of the disabled consumer.

One in four people in the UK have a disability, and this means that most people probably have a friend or family member who live a life affected by disability or a long-term condition. 83% of disability is acquired and the average age to acquire a disability is 54, so disability is an issue that effects all of us.

Building better businesses

Our conversation with Sarah reinforces a vital truth: disability inclusion isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential for building a better, fairer, and more successful business. Whether it’s through accessible services, supportive workplaces, or simply starting open conversations, every action counts.

At E.ON, we’re proud to be on this journey with BDF, learning how to do better and be better for our colleagues and customers. The path to inclusion starts with awareness — and grows through action.