Southern Launch, Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers

Same Difference was offline yesterday. I was attending the Southern Launch of the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers in Central London.

I met up with some friends of the site, and learnt many interesting and useful things about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Writing a full review would take me all day, so I’m just going to react to my three favourite quotes from the day, in order of how much I loved them!

1. “The problem is not the wheelchair, the problem is the stairs.” Jane Hatton, Evenbreak.

This quote is self explanatory, but is on this list for being punchy, inspirational and most of all, true. Jane Hatton is a friend of Same Difference, a disabled woman who runs Evenbreak, a jobs board for disabled people. She also employs disabled people.

Today, she had me imagining a world without stairs, where people on wheels and people on feet could all move safely together, around all sorts of workplaces!

2. “I wanted to take all of myself to work and still be equally seen, heard and valued.” Cathy Earle, Nielsen UK and Ireland.

I would love to be able to do that! Any organisations willing to see, hear and value a female, physically disabled journalist from an ethnic minority group, please get in touch!

3. “Be fearless.”

Towards the end of the day, there was a panel discussion in which the UK professionals hosting the event were joined by American professionals who shared their ideas for best practice on diversity and inclusion. At the end of this panel discussion all the speakers were asked for their tips on how to create a more diverse world. This was my favourite tip.

I think it applies to both employers and employees. Everyone should be fearless when employing, and when working with, people of all genders, ethnicities, races, abilities, sexualities and ages. Everyone is different- that is what we all have in common. Everyone has something different to offer. No one should let fear stop them from finding out what anyone has to offer their workplace, or their life!