What does diversity mean to you? To us, at Diversity and Ability (DnA), it means the differences that bring value to our companies and society- diverse ways of thinking, doing, working & being that improve the status quo. DnA is an award-winning disabled-led social enterprise specialising in training, consultancy and assistive technologies. DnA enables 'disabled’ and neurodiverse people (those who think/ learn differently, eg. dyslexia) to reach their potential and live independently – whether that be in education, the workplace or through tackling homelessness and long-term unemployment.
Having worked with over 15,000 individuals and many different organisations, big and small, DnA is excited to be partnering with Spinnaker Global to work with their network to be confident and expert in recruiting, supporting and retaining disabled staff.
Statistically, disabled people have much lower employment rates than non-disabled people – 48% of disabled people aged 16–64 are in work, compared with 80% of non-disabled people… meanwhile, mental ill health at work is estimated to cost businesses £26 billion annually through lost productivity and sickness absence. This employment gap and absences at work are in part due to lack of awareness and training around disability issues, and how best to support employees with diverse needs. We’re looking forward to working with you to boost, harness and celebrate this diversity, which will ultimately lead to increased productivity, retention and profit in your organisation.
Around 85% of DnA’s team self-identify as disabled or neurodiverse so all training delivered is authentic, guided by real lived experiences. We support individuals through one-to-one sessions such as assistive technology training, strategy coaching or mental health mentoring, to overcome any barriers they may be facing at work. These sessions are all about building confidence and creating a toolbox of strategies to be able to work more effectively and independently.
We also work with management teams to embed a strategic approach to celebrating disability & neurodiversity in the workplace. We do this through training and awareness workshops to group coaching sessions (often for HR Teams, Line Managers & IT Teams). We would look at things like inclusive hiring practices or making accessible technologies available on the IT systems and give advice over how to achieve this. Then there’s also personalised one-to-one strategy coaching for those in leadership roles, to help shape the overall diversity and inclusion roadmap and ascertain reachable objectives.
Pam Blackhurst, Head of Equality, Inclusion, and Well-being, at The Office for National Statistics, has shared her experience of working with DnA:
From my first contact with the team, the 'can do' attitude and knowledgeable discussions gave me confidence that I was dealing with a professional organisation that could deliver. I especially want to mention Atif Choudhury and Adam Hyland here as it was their enthusiasm that made the sessions come alive. The workshop focused on reasonable adjustments and inclusive practices in the workplace, with a particular emphasis on how these could be implemented. Atif and Adam challenged the participants to think differently about ability, and our Permanent Secretary said it was the 'best session' of the day. High praise when there were many excellent contributors.
We are so impressed with their knowledge and skills we will be working with DnA in the future to provide services to our employees. Who better to help others achieve their potential than those who understand where they are coming from?
If you think there’s untapped talent in your organisation, or maybe low productivity or high staff turnover rates, it might be that there are simple changes you can make to boost wellbeing and maximise everyone’s potential – we’re excited to go on that journey with you.
Find out more by visiting www.diversityandability.com/services/workplace/
Or contact us via [email protected] or call 0800 978 8303
