PurpleSpace supported by our partners Motability Operations, MSD and our Media Partner, The Financial Times is convening the world’s first Global Disability ERG/Network Summit on 15th October 2024.

During the Summit, we will:

• Convene disability ERG / Network leaders and key stakeholders at a 'free-at-source' hybrid global event.
• Connect with groups of disability ERG / Network leaders via supported Local Hub events around the globe.
• Determine the top three strategic drivers of workplace equity as expressed directly by people with disabilities – that, if tackled, would result in lasting change in the employment prospects of employees with disabilities.

The drivers to be discussed come from the 2023 publication ‘The top ten priorities of Disability ERG/ Network Leaders’ (sponsored by Novartis and Tesco), which was sourced from our network of over 4,000 + disability ERG /Network leaders working across nearly 200 organisations. Click here to download a copy.

Expected global impact:

• Clear messages from employees with disabilities regarding the barriers that employers must remove if they are to thrive at work.
• A new and compelling business and ethical rationale for investing in disability ERGs promoted across the global business community via our media partner, the Financial Times.
• An energized global movement of up to 2,000 disability ERG/Network leaders, champions and allies who represent the interests of over 1.5 million employees with disabilities.
• Increased capacity of PurpleSpace to nurture and enhance the impact and contribution of disability ERG/Networks worldwide and drive the future growth of this global movement.

Register to attend – Global Disability ERG Summit Livestream – Zoom (tickettailor.com)PurpleSpace member organisations have five places available, non-member organisations have one place available.

Members can also join our pre-summit hub events, in person or virtually. Please contact events@purplespace.org to register.

• 5 September - Dublin, Ireland (hosted by Google)
• 16 September - Hong Kong, China (hosted by HSBC)
• 17 September - New York City, USA (hosted by HSBC)
• 19 September - Hyderabad, India (hosted by HSBC)
• 19 September - Nairobi, Kenya (hosted by Google)
• 20 September - Mexico City, Mexico (hosted by HSBC)
• 25 September - Warsaw, Poland (hosted by Google)
• 9 October – Melbourne, Australia (hosted by NAB)
• 9 October – London, UK (hosted by A&O Shearman)

 

Summit Agenda

9:30: Welcome

• Brendan Roach, Managing Director at PurpleSpace

• Andrew Miller, CEO at Motability Operations

 

Cultivating a strong expectation of a positive outcome: Developing the inner confidence of employees with disabilities around the world

Chaired by Kate Nash OBE, Founder, PurpleSpace with speakers:

• Sara Weller, Non-Executive Director for BT Group, Virgin Money and Chair of Money and Pensions Service
• Toby Burton, CFO at Fastmarkets 
• Belinda May, Partner and Co-Chair of the Disability/Accessibility Inclusion Group at Dentons.
• Lyn Lee, Chief DEI Officer at Shell

 

Case study: Investing in the development of employees with disabilities across APAC

Speaker: Zsanett Maizl, Community Engagement Partner, APAC LEAD, Google.

Break

 

Purple Planet: Creating high impact disability ERGs in global organizations

Speakers:

• Jean Co, GBS D&I Lead and capABILITY Network Global Co-Lead at MSD.
• Darren Rowan, Global Digital Accessibility Leader and ERG International Chair at Eli Lilly & company.

 

Beyond the disability strategy: How disability ERGs are helping to apply a disability lens to strategic business priorities

Chaired by Katy Talikowska, CEO at The Valuable 500 with speakers:

• Mark Brown, Head of Impact & Sustainability and enABLE Employee Network Lead at Motability Operations.
• Claire Brody, Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery.

 

Sharing insights and stimulating demand: A disability ERG’s role in supporting a visible and effective workplace adjustment/accommodation service.

Chaired by Diane Lightfoot, CEO at Business Disability Forum with speakers:

• Andy Garrett, Workplace Adjustments and Accessibility director at GSK
• Rosemary Momanyi-Opiyo, Market Specialist for Sub Sahara Africa and Disability Alliance ERG lead at Google
• Dawn Poulson Whelan, Chair of the UK’s National Ambulance Disability Network

 

12:50: Lunch

Welcome

• Brendan Roach, Managing Director at PurpleSpace.
• Hillary Regan, Principal Scientist and capABILITY Network Global Co-Lead, Merck.

 

Data with a purple soul: Avoiding the disability data distraction

Speakers:

• Kate Nash OBE, Founder of PurpleSpace.
• John Amaechi OBE, Leadership Transformation Expert & Everyday Jedi at APS Intelligence.

 

Changing the narrative: Celebrating the contributions of employees with disabilities around the world

Chaired by Giles Barker, Workplace Disability Lead at Channel Four with speakers:

• Stephie Elms, Head of DEI - Disability at Novartis
• Russell Price, Programme Manager and Chair of the Disability Network at Tesco.
• Wolfgang Kowatsch, Managing Director at myAbility.

 

Break

Driving the next phase of change: The Top Three priorities of Disability ERG/Network leaders

Chaired by Susan Scott-Parker, Founder of Scott-Parker International with speakers:

• Reena Parmar, Counsel (DCM) at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Chair of the Law Society of England & Wales Disabled Solicitors Network.
• Don Watson, SVP Global Real Estate, Facilities, and EH&S and executive sponsor of the Oracle Diverse Abilities Network ERG.
• Sally Owen, Managing Director at PurpleSpace.
• Jürgen Menze, Work and Disability Expert and Global Business and Disability Network Manager at the International Labour Organization

 

Next steps

16:00 Summit close and networking