Disability Confidence in Action Programme
Disability Confidence in Action Programme
Programme
Coffee on Arrival
10:00 -10:45 Opening Remarks
10:45 - 11:05 Keynote - Jamie Shields
Jamie is a self-described Registered Blind AuDHD Rhino. He says "Rhinos are just chubby unicorns with bad eyesight, don’t believe me, google it! They really do have bad eyesight. I was born with a hereditary eye condition called Ocular Albinism with Nystagmus. Or in non-medical terms, I am the same as an albino, only with pigmentation, and my eyes like to go for uncontrolled walks or dances.
I spent years being Disabled by society. As an adult, I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD, which finally helped me see things a little clearer, excuse the pun. We live in a society that Disables. A society that views Disability as a problem to solve, rather than part of the human experience and part of the Solution. I am listed as one of the 100 most Influential Disabled People in the UK, I’m an award-winning ERG Lead and I’m named as one of the 50 top DEI practitioners in the UK by Inclusive Employers. Just like a rhino can change an ecosystem I believe Disabled People can change the cultures that Disable us."
Jamie's keynote has been sponsored by
11:10 -11:55 Inclusive Recruitment in Action Panel Discussion
Panel Members
- Lee Corless- Rangam,
- Robbie Crowe BBC,
- Audrey Bodman, Outshine Telephone Training & Resources
- Cat Davys, Manchester Airport,
- Lillie Jamieson Send it to Alex
Lee Corless
Lee is a senior executive with many years of experience working within the financial, technology, and recruitment industries.
Having been part of the leadership team building arguably the world’s leading Autism at Work program within one of the largest global investment corporations, Lee is now recognized as one of the world leaders in the neurodiversity and disability inclusion space and is an accomplished, in-demand, global speaker. As an autistic self-advocate, Lee supports the advancement of adapting the workplace to embrace neurodiversity and disability along with encouraging neurodivergent individuals to seek employment
Robbie Crow
Robbie is the BBC’s Strategic Disability Lead. He is responsible for disability inclusion across its entire current and potential workforce.
Before joining the BBC, Robbie worked in policy at the Scottish Government and chaired its disabled staff network. Robbie has held roles in the public and voluntary sectors and in the NHS, and previously led a national children’s charity as Chair for 6 years.
As a life-long disabled person he’s a passionate advocate of the Social Model of Disability and is frequently accompanied by his guide dog, Yogi. You can follow Robbie on LinkedIn.
Audrey Bodman
Audrey Bodman is an established Trainer and Coach in both Employer Engagement, Sales and Customer Service for the last 30 years. With extensive experience within the employability and skills sector, Audrey consistently delivers tangible outcomes through her training. Her past role as a job club leader and current role as a volunteer supporting the unemployed gives her unique insight into the challenges and opportunities faced when supporting people to achieve job success.
Alicia McDonnell
Alicia McDonnell is Group Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Manchester Airport Group. Alicia thrives on making change happen and pushing boundaries inside and outside of the organisation. Throughout her career Alicia has embedded and matured innovative programmes, to enhance DEI standards, operations, and behaviours, across the organisations and industries. As passionate about people, as they are about performance, Alicia’s purpose is to fuse both social and organisation value, into everything they do, to win the hearts and minds of all. Outside of the office Alicia is a board trustee, fanatic book lover, sun chaser and mother to three wonderfully diverse children.
Lillie Jamieson
Lillie Jamieson is an autistic entrepreneur reimagining employment support for neuro-minorities. Currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Exeter and with a career background in supporting leaders within the tech industry, she has leveraged her lived experience, academic knowledge, and professional expertise to co-found Send It To Alex. Send It To Alex is the first B Corp-certified employment support service dedicated to people with diverse neuro-identities. The company builds its products and services on deep research, professional insight, and lived experience of neuro differences, combining personalised human support and technology to create accessible, inclusive work environments. By centring on the needs of various neurotypes, Send It To Alex ensures support is tailored to the unique ways neuro-minorities experience and engage with the workplace.
11.55 - 12.10 Q & A with Panel
12:15 - 13:00 Lunch/ Networking
13:05 -13:55 Disability Confident Careers Panel Discussion
- Callum Stevens, Nandos
- Shirley Woods-Gallagher,
- Mo Koheeallee CCEP,
- Jenny Taylor, Oxfordshire Printing Services.
Calumn Stephens
I am a neurodiverse manager with over 14 years of experience, dedicated to advancing supported employment at Nando's. I am passionate about creating quality experiences for candidates who flourish in an inclusive environment. Our commitment to unlocking the potential of our team is rooted in our core values, demonstrating that supported employment not only makes social sense but is also a smart business strategy. With the invaluable support of BASE, we have built strong community connections and accessed a wealth of resources to enhance our journey. I firmly believe the workplace should focus on what individuals can achieve, showcasing their brilliance and capabilities."
Shirley Woods-Gallagher
Shirley is an out, loud and proud Autistic Leader of public services in Greater Manchester. She is actively campaigning for a neuroinclusion standard of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter.
She is a recipient of a UNESCO and International Federation of Inclusive Practitioners Global Inclusion Award 2024 for leadership. She is also the Joint Editor in Chief of their annual journal.
Shirley has currently been nominated for a national UK Diversity Powerlist of 50 people of 2024 award. She is a Trustee for the Greater Manchester charity, Respect for All who provide counselling to people who are either Autistic and/or have a learning disability. The charity won the MACC Spirit of Manchester Campaign Award in 2023 and also a UNESCO and IFIP Global Inclusion Award 2024 for social impact 2024.
She is she is also a member of the Advisory Panel for Children’s Viewing at the British Board of Film Classification where we review online safety for children and guidance to both the filming and gaming industry. She is also an Advisory Board member for the international programme of work “Invest In Play”
Mo Koheeallee
Growing up in a wheelchair has always set challenges in front of me, but I always overcome them! After searching for a Job/ Career for many years, I found myself working at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). Having always loved the brand Coca-Cola, I didn't think that one day I'd be working for them.
I started off as a Grocery Merchandiser, supporting retailers with everything they needed to keep their customers happy, after tremendous support from CCEP, I was able to showcase, that a wheelchair user can be a merchandiser and be successful by achieving one of the highest availability and revenue growth within GB.
In 2022 l joined the supply chain team as an apprentice Quality, Environment, Safety and Health (QESH) Co-ordinator, after successfully completing in Jan 2024, I am now a qualified health & safety officer, bringing in a unique perspective to a field that sometimes holds back people with disabilities and helped to create one of the first wheelchair accessible manufacturing sites in GB with more to come.
Now, a QESH Coordinator Projects and The Lead Accessibility Ambassador for CCEP GB, I look at ways to enable our colleagues with a disability be themselves, and support CCEP GB in becoming a more diverse & inclusive business, through various projects such as accessibility software’s offered to our colleagues, to implementing supported internship's.
Jenny Taylor
Hello, my name is Jenny Taylor. I am 35 years old with Asperger’s Syndrome.
I work for County Print Finishers as a Grade 5 workforce associate, I help run the production lines for our re-packaging work, I am an emergency first aider and will soon undertake my Forklift truck licence. I am part of the Continuous improvement team, and I also help with Health & Safety checks.
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when I was in Year 9, my younger brother also has the condition, this has brought us closer together. Since I was diagnosed, I really wanted to raise awareness in educational and work-based settings about Autism, I am enthusiastic about helping my organisation not only to adapt to me but my colleagues so we can gain valuable experience in a workplace.
13.55 - 14.10 Q & A with Panel
14.10 - 14.25 Coffee
14:25 - 15.20 Business Disability Confident Leaders Panel Discussion
- Alex Perkins Amazon
- Layla Haynes,Vodaphone
- Hector Minto Microsoft
- Leanne Winter, Manpower
Alex Perkins
Alex joined Amazon 7 years ago, and for the last 6 years has worked on programs to support underrepresented job seekers to access Amazon jobs. This includes Care Experienced young people, prison leavers and disabled job seekers across Europe. Alex leads a team across Europe who work in partnership with both local NGOs and national partners such as Job Centre’s and Labor offices to attract candidates local to our sites to our roles. In this role, he leads the team who create Amazon’s strategies and initiatives that seek to increase the representation of disabled people. This has included overseeing the expansion of the Supported Internship program to over 15 sites in the UK in 2024, and making Amazon roles accessible for associates who are Blind/Low Vision and Deaf/Hard of Hearing. Alex blends his 10 years of recruitment and HR experience with a passion for inclusion; working with charities, partners and those with lived experience so create meaningful and impactful change.
Layla Haynes
I have worked for Vodafone for nearly 24 years, resulting in extensive experience in leadership, project and programme management. I am passionate about delivering change, and in driving a truly inclusive culture and approach to amplify the voices of all of our employees and communities.
I’m determined to make a difference for our employees, creating an environment where everyone feels valued, seen, heard, and connected with their colleagues, working side by side with our employee networks collaborating for inclusion for all.
At Vodafone, we focus on the great things people can do, if given the right environment. And we’re committed to creating it for as many people as possible - whether that’s through individual adjustments, improved accessibility or a better understanding of disability.
Hector Minto
Hector Minto is a passionate and experienced leader in accessibility and assistive technology. He is currently the Director of Accessibility, Lead Technology Evangelist at Microsoft, where he drives and measures the education and adoption of Microsoft accessibility features and assistive technologies across customers, partners and communities.
He has worked at the cutting edge of accessibility for 25 years, specializing in alternative communication, home automation and computer access. He also contributes to government consultations on disability inclusion and showcases inclusive design, product accessibility, inclusive hiring practices and accessibility innovation. Hector Minto is a visionary and influential advocate for accessibility and disability rights.
Leanne Winter
With over 20 years of experience as an HR Manager in the recruitment industry, I have dedicated my career to finding the right talent and fostering inclusive work environments. I am a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, and I’m particularly passionate about removing the barriers that prevent disabled individuals from accessing meaningful employment. My own experiences have given me a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by disabled people in the workplace, driving my commitment to creating accessible and supportive opportunities for all. I believe, and I have seen first hand that when workplaces are truly inclusive, everyone benefits—employees thrive, teams are stronger, and organisations succeed.
15.20 - 15.30 Q & A with Panel