Herbert Smith Freehills has teamed up to deliver a workshop with PurpleSpace, the UK's only networking and professional development hub supporting disability employee networks, aimed at helping organisations understand the impact of learning from the experience of disabled employees when removing barriers and building the right environment for people of all abilities to work in. 

Prejudices and misconceptions

The workshop focused on how to take a systematic approach to creating mini eco-systems that enhance cultural understanding and improve business performance. Alison Matthews, a consultant in Herbert Smith Freehills' corporate practice and co-chair of the firm's Ability Network, says ‘prejudices and misconceptions need to be challenged at an individual, organisational and societal level. It is clear that harnessing the skills, ideas and talent of a diverse range of people requires fresh conversations about ability in the workplace. Employers need to take positive steps to promote greater inclusion and reinforce a supportive workforce.  Unless concerted efforts are made to challenge the status quo, UK organisations risk missing out on the creativity and productivity that is driven by a diverse workforce.’ According to official figures, more than 3.7 million people with disabilities are in work across the UK.

Discomfort and fear

Yet, despite a significant proportion of the workforce living with a disability, 60 percent are uncomfortable sharing information about their disability at work, fearing how others may react.  Wider research suggests these fears may not be unfounded as around one-third (32 percent) also admit they think people with disabilities are not as productive as non-disabled people. In the joint workshop, Kate Nash OBE, ceo of PurpleSpace, said ‘it is fitting that three years after Herbert Smith Freehills launched PurpleSpace to the world with our first event, that they are now hosting our first 'Networkology Park One - Foundation Workshop', part of the core academy of learning in building high-performing networks.  All the evidence suggests that organisations want to build disability confidence from the inside out; this means investing in and nurturing the change agents that work ‘on the side of their desk’ to support an organisation's diversity and inclusion strategy.  Herbert Smith Freehills are to be commended for being at the cutting edge, yet again and we are proud to work with them.’