August 2021.

We’re really proud to have received a Bronze award for our Disability Standard submission to the Business Disability Forum. Thanks to the Disability Standard Steering Group, the Disability Taskforce, and all students and staff who contributed to the submission through your feedback and input.

Feedback on our submission shows strengths in:

• Making our commitment to disability inclusion so visible.
• Resources to support staff wellbeing – across Wellbeing Support Services, the Library, ITS, and Disability webpages.
• Work to make campus accessible and inclusive.
• Unconscious bias and inclusion training for staff involved in recruitment and selection.
• Library refurbishments plans reflecting feedback from the SU on the need for spaces supporting Neuro-Sensory needs.
• A clear plan to improving disability inclusion.

Recommendations for further action are:

• More systematic gathering and analysis of data and feedback from staff, students, and visitors on accessing services, reviewing improvements, and user testing for products and services.
• Communications methods that meet the needs of disabled people.
• Assessment of how disabled staff are progressing and what barriers they face.
• Engagement with a wider range of disability organisations.
• Review of policies to ensure they do not present barriers for disabled people.
• Attraction and recruitment of disabled staff.
• Potential training for key groups to improve disability know-how for managers, HR advisers, and IT and digital staff.

Chris Ennew, Provost, Senior Disability Champion for Leadership, and Chair of the University’s Disability Smart Steering Group, says:

“This gives us a great platform to continue to progress work to make Warwick an attractive place for disabled people. We’ve got a way to go but we can see what we’re doing well and what further action we need to take over the next year or so. Thanks to everyone who’s supporting this important agenda.”

See what’s available to you to help support disabled staff and promote best practice by visiting the Business Disability Forum advice service for advice and guidance.