FTSE 100 Falls Short in Disability Inclusion
 

New ActionAble 2025  insight reveals a stark reality: 

• Only one FTSE 100 Board Member has publicly reported their disability.

• Just six FTSE 100 companies disclose data on senior leaders with disabilities.

• Lloyds Banking Group and BT lead the way forward, reporting 12% and 14% of their senior leadership, respectively, as having disabilities

• Shockingly, only 18 of the 100 FTSE 100 companies report the total number of employees with disabilities.

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These numbers show how far the corporate world still has to go; this is despite almost a quarter of the UK population [1] identifying as having a disability and over 2 in 5 of these individuals struggling to access products and services that meet their needs [2]

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ActionAble 2025 is here to change that. 

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ActionAble 2025 is calling on the UK’s biggest businesses and most respected leaders to come together and take real, meaningful steps toward ending workplace disability exclusion. This transformational campaign, spearheaded by Sara Weller, a non-executive director of BT, Chair of the Money and Pensions Service and the only FTSE 100 Board member reported with a disability, aims to shift the conversation from words to action.

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"Talking about diversity is not enough. It’s time for action," says Sara, who has lived with progressive multiple sclerosis for 15 years. "This campaign is about equipping businesses with the tools they need to create truly inclusive workplaces and make disability inclusion a core part of their strategies…The first big step was the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995. 30 years on, in the business world, there needs to be a renewed sense of urgency to make our boardrooms and businesses more representative of wider society. This isn’t just about the FTSE 100 but every large employer, for example Channel 4 one of our ActionAble 2025 fantastic partners is also leading the way, for example out of the top 100 paid employees, Channel 4 publicly report that 20% have a reported Disability”

On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, ActionAble 2025 will host the UK’s first ever virtual conference with world renowned practitioners dedicated to empowering businesses to build disability-inclusive action plans. Supported by prominent partners such as Business Disability Forum, Lloyds Banking Group, Channel 4, Scope, the Valuable 500, and PurpleSpace, and delivered by ImpactMatch this groundbreaking initiative will bring together world-renowned experts, HR professionals, business leaders, and diversity advocates.

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Delegates will gain access to:

• Practical Advice from over 70 inspiring expert speakers on how to create tangible change

• Specialist Resources from 50+ organisations offering services and products tailored to improve accessibility for employees and customers with disabilities.

• Personalised Action Plans to help businesses recruit, retain, and develop employees with disabilities and create inclusive work environments.

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Register here

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The event will be hosted on an innovative, accessible, virtual, community platform provided by ImpactMatch to drive collective action and impact. Having completed an Action Plan assessment to understand where they most need to focus, delegates will then learn from the inspiring expert speakers about changes they can make. Throughout the day, they will be able to also hold personal virtual meetings with the 50+ specialist organisations who’ll provide the services and products required to support employees and customers with disabilities.  

 

Why ActionAble 2025 Matters

The campaign has three clear goals for all UK businesses by the end of 2025:

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1. Disability Inclusion Action Plans: Empower every UK business to build and report on concrete goals for disability inclusion.

2. Representation and Recruitment: Help companies authentically represent their colleagues, customers, and communities by actively recruiting, developing and retaining individuals with lived experience of all forms of disabilities.

3. Eliminate the Disability Engagement Gap: Create a workplace where employees—regardless of disability—feel equally valued and supported with an aim to have a “zero disability gap”

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Join the Movement

ActionAble 2025 has already gained traction, with organisations representing over 1,000 employers committing to take action. February’s virtual conference is just a key step in a series of initiatives to ignite change.

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"We’re not here to dwell on the past but to fuel collective action for a more inclusive future,” says Sara Weller. “Together, we can make 2025 the year businesses truly reflect the diversity of the UK.”

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Be part of this meaningful movement: 

• FTSE 350 Business Leaders: Register for the event here 

• Specialist Service Providers: Connect your expertise with businesses here.

• Online Release  

https://impactmatch.global/2024/12/02/ftse-100-falls-short-in-disability-inclusion/ 

https://www.saraweller.com/features

 

 

The Path to Tokyo and Beyond

ActionAble 2025 will conclude its February event with a view forward to December’s Valuable 500 SYNC25 event in Tokyo, reinforcing a global commitment to disability inclusion.

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Now is the time for the UK’s business community to step up and lead the way in creating a fairer, more inclusive society. The future is accessible—this campaign will help make that happen.

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Alternative Quotes

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Sara Weller adds: ‘Over 80 per cent of people acquire their disability during their working lives. This is about employers helping to keep those people in work, just as much as it is about opening up opportunities for people with disabilities to join businesses in the first place.

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‘Right now, there is one FTSE100 director declaring their long term health condition. Me. I hope that will become 25 by the end of 2025, and at least 100 by the end of 2027. We must remove the veil of secrecy around disability in boardrooms across the UK, and encourage leaders to share their own stories to empower those throughout their businesses to be equally open, and get the support they need to be brilliant at work.’

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Additional quotes from those involved

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From Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum 

 “It is time for a fresh approach to workplace inclusion. Too often people choose not to tell their employer about their disability because they are afraid they will be treated differently if they do. We need senior leaders to help change that narrative by using their own experiences to build a culture of trust and a more representative workforce.”

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From Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4

SHORT: “At Channel 4 we know how powerful it can be when organisations build inclusion into their work and come together to champion it. We’re delighted to support ActionAble 2025 and help bring together many organisations across sectors to drive disability inclusion with practical action and real business cases.”

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LONGER QUOTE: “ActionAble 2025 will be an important opportunity, 30 years after the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, for businesses to share and learn about how they can make disability inclusion a reality, not just an aspiration. At Channel 4, 23% of our workforce are disabled, above the level of the population, and they are a testament to the strength of a diverse and inclusive workforce. We also see when we broadcast the Paralympic Games just how powerful it can be when we all come together to champion inclusion. I am looking forward to seeing what we will achieve when we all come together and commit to driving even more change in the next 30 years.”

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From Jas Singh, CEP Consumer Lending and Exec Ally for Disability and Neurodiversity, Lloyds Banking Group

Short quote: At LBG we firmly believe that disability inclusion benefits everyone. We are proud to be a Principal Partner of ActionAble, which serves as an important platform to drive greater disability inclusion in UK business through targeted and practical action. For us, getting this right is at the heart of helping Britain prosper- Jas Singh, CEO Consumer Lending and Exec Ally for Disability & Neurodiversity, Lloyds Banking Group

LONG “At LBG we firmly believe that disability inclusion benefits everyone. We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where colleagues love to work, can be themselves and thrive. We know that a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve enables better decision making, and ensures our products and services are tailored and inclusive of the needs of all our customers- Rachel Osikoya, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Lloyds Banking Group

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We are proud to be a Principal Partner of ActionAble, which serves as an important collaborative platform to drive greater disability inclusion through practical action. For us, getting this right is at the heart of helping Britain prosper – a more inclusive society is a more prosperous society, and a diverse business is a better business”

From Kate Nash, Founder, PurpleSpace

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“Actionable 2025 will bring together imaginative employers who want to go further faster when it comes to disability inclusion, and we will shine the light on the role of disability ERG/Networks. Start your year with the motivation you need to guarantee purposeful outcomes.”

From Caroline Casey, Co-Founder, The Valuable 500

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“ActionAble 2025 brings together leading ideas and practical tools to help businesses put disability inclusion where it should be - at the heart of leadership and board agendas.”

From Mark Hodgkinson, CE, Scope

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“We know that diverse organisations thrive. One in four of us are disabled. But there’s more we can do to make workplaces accessible and inclusive. To attract and retain incredible disabled talent, we need to shift attitudes and make sure adjustments are in place from day one.

“Businesses, charities, government and disabled people should work together to achieve this. Wherever you are on your disability inclusion journey, acknowledge what needs to improve and work with others to get there.

“Together, we must make it easier for disabled people to get into work, stay in work and thrive. We hope that this event sparks meaningful change.

From Leigh Smyth - Founder ImpactMatch 

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“We are delighted to be working with Sara Weller and partners to deliver such a critical campaign for the UK. One in four of us have a disability and we need to support the leaders of organisations across the UK to represent the colleagues, customers and communities they serve”

 

Notes to Editors: 

Business Disability Forum (BDF)

 

We are the leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. We are trusted partners, working with business, Government and disabled people to improve the life experiences of disabled employees and consumers, by removing barriers to inclusion.

 

• We work with over 600 Members employing nearly 20% of the UK workforce and an estimated 8 million people worldwide.

• We advise, support and encourage businesses (many of them global) to become more disability-smart.  

• We influence policymakers by representing the voice of employers and disabled employees.  

• We provide evidence-based thought leadership on how business affects the lives of disabled people.  

• We help effect changes in business practices, products, services and policies, that positively impact the life experiences of disabled people, and also benefit business.

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Channel 4:

Channel 4 is a publicly-owned, commercially-funded broadcaster, which exists to create change through entertainment. We do this by representing unheard voices, challenging with purpose, and constantly reinventing entertainment. In a world facing deep political divisions, ongoing debates about identity, and changing viewer habits, it’s critical we stay true to and deliver our remit.

 

We’ve led our industry in diversity and inclusion, both as a broadcaster and an employer. From Desmond's, the first black sitcom first broadcast by Channel 4 in 1989, to our ground-breaking coverage of the Paralympic Games, Channel 4 has brought previously neglected experiences and perspectives into the mainstream.

 

From on-screen initiatives like Black to Front, through to industry-leading commercial initiatives like the Diversity in Advertising Award, our pioneering workplace policies on women’s health and our commitment to being an anti-racist organisation, we’re proud to be progressive – and we’re committed to making an impact.

Lloyds Banking Group:

At Lloyds Banking Group, we want to be the best-in-class leader in disability and neuro-

inclusion. We firmly believe that disability and neuro-inclusion benefits everyone. We

know that a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve enables better

decision making, and ensures our products and services are tailored and inclusive of the

needs of all our customers. For our customers, we want to be the trusted market leader

in accessible and inclusive products, services, and experiences. We also recognise the

important role we play in driving a society and economy that is more inclusive.

 

Whilst we are proud of our work to date, we continue to challenge ourselves and strive

for excellence to ensure that disability and neuro-inclusion is core to our ways of

working. This needs to show up through our behaviours, decision making and language.

Getting this right is at the heart of helping Britain prosper – a more inclusive society is a

more prosperous society, and a diverse business is a better business.

PurpleSpace:

PurpleSpace is the world’s only networking and professional development hub for disabled employee resource group (ERG)/Network leaders and allies from all sectors and trades.

 

We are a small social business with a big mission:

"To make it easier for employees to navigate the experience of ill health, disability or the experience of an accident or injury, at the same time as flourishing at work".

 

We do this in three ways:

• By creating the world’s first professional development and best practice exchange for disability ERG/Network leaders, allies & champions.

• By supporting ERG/Network leaders to build vibrant disability networks that help colleagues to bring their authentic selves to work.

• By helping employers to improve business performance by learning directly from disabled employees.

 

We believe that the only real way for employees and employers to build disability confidence is from the inside out.

Scope:

We are Scope.

We’re here to create an equal future with disabled people.

We campaign to transform attitudes to disability, tackle injustice and inspire action.

We create opportunities and provide information and support that empowers. 

One in four of us in the UK are disabled. We are a diverse, proud, and vibrant community.

We are part of a powerful movement of disabled people, allies, organisations and businesses.

And together, we will be unstoppable.

Valuable 500:

We are the global organisation of over 500 partners and companies working together to end disability exclusion.

 

Unified in our purpose to accelerate inclusion for the one in five people living with a disability. We transform business systems to transform society.

 

We drive change through Synchronised Collective Action. Channelling the power of 500 partners working in harmony – moving in the same direction, at the same time, against the same system barriers. We hold each other to account. Working towards SYNC25 the Valuable 500 Accountability Summit, Tokyo 2025 - where 500 companies will report on their actions.

 

We won’t stop until everyone is seen and valued equally.

SW

Sara is a respected, customer focused leader and Diversity advocate who has served on a wide range of Boards, of some of the UK’s best-known businesses, major Government bodies and substantial charitable institutions over 20 years. During this time, Sara has consistently delivered transformative customer and colleague experience, and driven cross-sector change to advance social inclusion. Sara took part in the London Marathon in 2023, raising £262,000 for MS research.

ImpactMatch

At Impact Match, we empower leaders, founders, and organisations to transform their visions into meaningful outcomes that generate social impact at scale. Through targeted recruitment, and working with our extensive #ImpactMaker community connects the right individuals with purpose-driven organisations to accelerate impact. Our advisory services also provide actionable strategies and campaigns from ideation to delivery, supporting organisations and leaders in exceeding their social impact goals.

For ActionAble 2025 as a Founder Partner we also provide our #ImpactMatchRooms proposition including a technology platform and event venue, aimed at eliminating “Talk Shops” and accelerating social impact outcomes from dynamic and direct action. Our efforts are bolstered by our remarkable community of #ImpactExperts.

 

[1] UK Disability Statistics | UK Parliament

[2] Disabled people’s access to products and services | Office for National Statistics