Accessibility in the workplace:
the importance of allyship

Marc Howells, Vice President of Global Talent and Development at AstraZeneca, discusses the importance of an inclusive and accessible workplace ahead of International Day of People with Disabilities.

Saturday 3 December marks International Day of People with Disabilities. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues with an emphasis on accessibility. By focusing on innovative solutions, we can create an inclusive and diverse workplace for all.

Accessibility is about identifying and responding to conditions that challenge access by providing equitable opportunity, regardless of a person’s abilities or circumstances.  At AstraZeneca, we recognise the importance of creating an inclusive and diverse workplace, so that everyone can reach their full potential. This can only be achieved when we challenge conventions and make sure our people feel like their voices are heard.

I am proud to be an advocate for disability awareness and an ambassador for our Employee Resource Group (ERG) Disabilities and Allies: No Limits No Labels, which ensures that the work we do is reflective of our employees and patients. The AZ ERG recognises the importance of removing barriers to ensure privacy, dignity and independence for everyone, and shows our commitment to creating an environment where difference is celebrated.

One of the key themes of International Day of People with Disabilities is access to technology. In an ever-changing technological landscape, improving access to technology is an important factor in achieving inclusivity in the workplace. Earlier this year, our Technology Innovation team, along with several external partners, led a hackathon which focused on disability and its impact on access to healthcare. Participants, including our colleagues at AstraZeneca, shared daily challenges they face due to their disabilities in the workplace and beyond. There were several excellent submissions – and the winner was BeeYuu, an app that enables those with bi-polar disorder to connect with a community and feel supported to be themselves. Being able to bring your whole self to work is key aspect of our inclusion and diversity strategy, creating a culture of belonging for all employees.

We also look at where we can partner to co-create solutions for disability inclusion. Purpose-led partnerships are key to driving transformational change for both our organisation and the patients and communities we serve. As such, we have recently joined Disability:IN, a global non-profit that promotes best practices for disability inclusion. Through the Disability:IN Inclusion Works partnership, we will work together over the next three years to create a strategic roadmap for disability inclusion by empowering people with disabilities, eliminating barriers in our workplace, and evaluating our policies, procedures, and programmes. Together with Disability:IN we aim to create long-term business and societal impact.

In the UK, we continue to partner with Business Disability Forum (BDF), a leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. BDF improve the life experiences of disabled employees and consumers by removing barriers to inclusion. We are harnessing their expertise to improve our Reasonable Adjustments guidance and make our UK organisation more disability-smart.  With continued advice and support, we plan to become a Disability Confident Employer in the UK in the near future.

In the US, we have been working with Lime Connect which represents the largest network of high-potential university students and professionals – including veterans – who have disabilities in the world. This partnership enables us to reach pools of talent that matches our top hiring profiles and raise the importance of, and fully value, the talent and strengths that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. 

At AstraZeneca, we nurture and develop the talent within our workforce to continually strengthen and evolve our capabilities. Being innovative and agile is essential to ensure we continue to thrive in a complex and fast-changing world, delivering ground-breaking, sustainable outcomes to patients and society. By empowering our teams and investing in inclusion and diversity, we reinforce our commitment to being a great place to work and an organisation that places both our employees and patients at the forefront. An accessible workplace not only helps us to build a diverse talent pipeline and a culture of belonging, but also helps to advance wider societal change. We must continue to act as allies to people with disabilities and ensure that uniqueness is celebrated, and in-access does not stand in the way of anyone’s capabilities.