How agencies are tackling accessibility issues for people with disabilities

The Drum asks agencies what they have done to make their workplaces and workspaces more accessible for people with disabilities and what policies and initiatives they have introduced to make our sector more attractive to them.

Normalizing accessibility

Josh Bullmore, chief strategy officer, Leo Burnett UK, the Government’s Disability and Access Ambassador for the Advertising Sector and a member of the All In working group on disability: “Disability representation should be for life, not just the Paralympics. For a few glorious weeks, disabled people are all over our screens, from the games themselves to the advertising that surrounds them. Afterwards? Tumbleweed. Disabled people are the leads in just 1% of ads when they represent over 20% of the working-age population. This is surely no surprise in an industry that employs so few disabled people. The good news? Making a difference is much easier than you’d think. It starts with asking everyone one simple question: ‘Do you have any accessibility requirements?’ This is the latest action from our industry’s All In action plan. At Leo Burnett, we’re one of many All In champions across the industry putting this into practice, striving to make it as normal as asking people if they have any dietary requirements. This one little question has started an invaluable conversation across the agency and has already helped open our doors to more disabled talent.”

Josh Loebner, global head of inclusive design, VML: “Marketing is all about celebrating iconic brands, and who better to be a part of that creativity than iconoclasts among disability communities? Now, more than ever, our industry is rapidly welcoming accessibility and disability in bold new ways. Some campaigns are starting to move beyond baseline compliance standards that make accessibility seem like an afterthought to reinterpreting it as a gateway to creativity through nuanced and sublime captions, alt tags, audio descriptions and more. Disabled creators once relegated to niche adaptive brands or topics are now gaining millions of followers, brand sponsorships and talent agents negotiating significant paychecks. If you can see it, you can be it and greater disability visibility is being baked into marketing, guiding disabled students, allies and advocates a clearer path into the industry. This momentum is continued among marketing professionals via employee resource groups, leadership roles such as chief accessibility officers and global heads of inclusive design that are guiding agencies, brands and the industry forward. Alongside all these positives, more needs to be done, and at the confluence of AI, accessibility and advertising, WPP, VML and others are creating solutions that were insurmountable only a short time ago.”

Cari Bucci-Hulings, president, Betty: “Accessibility is just the first step toward true inclusion and the marketing sector has a lot of opportunities to do more in this area. A good starting point is having and listening to Disability ERGs, which our agency uses to advocate for the needs of differently abled employees, those with chronic illnesses, neurodivergent individuals, as well as their caregivers and allies. There are also experts and organizations within the disability community who can provide consulting and advice on how to improve the experience beyond what is required by law. At Betty, we also create flexibility for people to meet their own needs. We have seating options that allow employees to manage the amount of light and sound that helps them work best. We empower managers to give their employees flexibility during the day as needed. Most importantly, we make it a point to talk about accessibility together, ensuring it remains a core part of our culture.”

Camilla Bruggen, global head of diversity, equity & inclusion, Wavemaker Global: “As we prepare to move to a new campus building in London, our award-winning Enable community has played a pivotal role in shaping our new space and ensures that inclusivity is at the core of our building’s design. Their comprehensive review document has guided every aspect, including the integration of quiet spaces specifically designed for those with sensory sensitivities. Our current quiet spaces are very popular among people who self-identify as neurodivergent; they provide a peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of the main floor, with low lighting, no meetings and free from the smells of food and drink. This enables everyone to enjoy the agency culture while knowing there is a quiet space to go to when they need it. Our goal is to make Wavemaker a welcoming environment for everyone, including those with disabilities. While we are proud of the progress we’ve made as an agency and as an industry, we are very aware that this is a journey that is never complete.”

Marianne Waite, director of inclusivity, Global Lead: “When you look at the sector in general, so much more could be done to remove barriers for disabled employees; this is reflected in the number of unemployed disabled candidates who continuously struggle to find work. Interbrand London actively works to remove employment barriers by creating a culture that puts accessibility as an imperative, this includes ongoing assessment of the recruitment journey. We also have partnerships with the likes of Creative Equals and RiDC to open up new opportunities where possible. This commitment is reflected in our creative work, which is designed to be inclusive and accessible from the get-go.”

Jenny Edwards, people director, Redpill: “Through our wide team and the diverse range of influencers we work with, accessibility is never an afterthought. We decided to move our offices to a ground floor workspace to ensure we had step-free access to suit all mobility needs. Our quarterly wellness day includes individually tailored activities to suit neurodivergence and to reduce skills barriers in team development. In our recruitment, we focus on consistent engagement with considered communication at key stages to ensure information always remains accessible and manageable. We also offer support during interview stages, such as sign language interpreters, and reasonable adjustments.”

Still work to do

Hannah Anderson, managing partner – social, NewGen: “My disability is invisible, but the chronic pain I experience is very real. As a business, we pride ourselves on making our workplace accessible. For example, I’ve been provided with a standing desk and a special chair to manage my back issues. We also support neurodiverse employees, like those with ADHD, and offer talks from people with different experiences to help everyone better understand ADHD. In the marketing sector, while progress is being made, there’s still work to do, especially around invisible disabilities. Champions on LinkedIn like Ellie Middleton speak about autism and ADHD in the workplace and I think that openness is really starting to seep through into the sector.”

Michael Phillips, head of communications, Havas Media Network UK, and co-chair, Havas Adapt: “We set up our disability network Havas Adapt to help drive positive change around inclusion for our people, those accessing our business and the work we produce. We’re seeing more visible representation of disability in advertising these last few years. Havas London has produced some outstanding and most-awarded ever work for Vanish over the last year and Havas Play has a rich history of supporting disability in sport in its work with EE. Leo Burnett’s CSO, Josh Bullmore, is doing some brilliant things as the government’s ambassador to the ad industry around disability. And Channel 4 is a leader in disability inclusion through its various initiatives. But let’s face it: the industry has a long way to go to become more inclusive for disabled people. Around a fifth of the world’s population lives with some disability – physical or neurological, or invisible or visible. Nearly 5 million people in the UK are carers, too. That’s around 20 million people in the UK (nearly a third) who are impacted directly or indirectly by disability. Now ask yourself this: do you see it?”

Mary Jenson, director of people & culture, Barbarian: “We’ve made significant strides toward accessibility, especially with the rise of hybrid work. This includes implementing physical accommodations to workspaces for anyone with a physical disability but also encouraging flexible work arrangements to help with non-visible disabilities. Our goal is a supportive environment where everyone can contribute. While the marketing sector has made progress, more work is needed to ensure accessibility for all – inside and outside of the physical workspace. By focusing on inclusivity and providing necessary accommodations, we can create a more equitable and welcoming industry.”

Sandra Ajidahun, senior talent partner, BBH London: “To make the agency more accessible, we offer reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, from applications to interviews, ensuring everyone has a fair shot. We offer disability awareness training and have a clear disability policy in place. We know that employees with disabilities may require flexibility in work arrangements, so flexible working options are available to all employees. We also provide assistive technology to make sure we are providing everyone with the right environment to do their best work. Plus, we go the extra mile with vocational rehabilitation, occupational health assessments and comprehensive support for employees facing long-term conditions. Although I believe the marketing sector is becoming more accessible to those with disabilities, this is a very subjective view. The industry has much more work to do, but to get there, we need deeper insights and understanding from those who are most affected by the barriers in order to truly foster an inclusive, supportive environment where everyone can thrive.”

Jason Megson, managing director, Sparks EMEA: “In the last year the team at Sparks has consulted industry experts and invested resources to upskill our design and production teams around inclusive event environments. Throughout this exercise, we considered all protected characteristics, such as gender, disability, neurodiversity, faith, race and age. Initially focused on our clients, this initiative has naturally shaped workspace thinking for our staff, too. As an industry, I believe we’ve made many positive efforts in terms of making physical disability adaptations, but there is also a recognition that we need to keep listening and learning to create spaces for those with less visible disabilities and neurodiverse needs.”

Building in better understanding

Jidapa Sitthajaruwat (Ninnie), talent & culture officer, BBDO Bangkok: “At BBDO Bangkok, we have made our workplace more accessible by actively recruiting individuals with hearing impairments for over a decade. Our commitment to inclusivity extends beyond hiring; we ensure that our workspace is accommodating and supportive. This includes providing the necessary tools and resources to create an environment where everyone can thrive. The broader advertising and marketing sector has also made commendable strides in accessibility, with many agencies embracing inclusive practices like accessible digital content and diverse campaign representation. However, challenges remain. Inconsistent implementation, inaccessible job postings, inadequate accommodations and a limited understanding of disability inclusion still create obstacles. While progress is evident, there’s more work to be done. Our industry must continue to prioritize accessibility and inclusivity to guarantee equal opportunities for everyone, ensuring that no talent is overlooked.”

Poran Malani, group CEO, Creativeland Asia: “Currently, I believe, there are approximately a billion people in the world with disabilities. If you think about that from a purely economic perspective, it is a colossal waste of contribution if they are not enabled in the workplace. Covid taught us that we can work both in the office and at home and still be productive, meaning that there is no excuse not to be as diverse as we possibly can. At Creativeland Asia, we strive, like most agencies, to provide an all-inclusive, accepting and tolerant workspace. Of course, priorities are different from market to market, including gender diversity, disability, and religious diversity. Mental health is a crucial aspect of well-being, so we have a full-time meditation counselor on-site. Our policies are designed to judge candidates purely on skills needed for the job and nothing more. Having said that, to the question, ‘What have we done to make our workspace more accessible to people with disabilities?’ The answer is quite simple: not enough! Like most organizations, we face multiple challenges. Being progressive takes time, commitment and perseverance. We are making huge progress in this area, but of course, we need to do a lot more and we are committed to doing so.”

Carolyn Stebbings, chief operating & inclusion officer, Rapp UK: “Enabling accessibility is critical, but when 70% of disabilities aren’t visible, workplaces can face unique challenges. At Rapp, we ensure that, within our recruitment practices, we are asking potential candidates what they need to be their most effective selves. This has included things such as different desk setups to account for a visual impairment and varying software to support neurodiverse colleagues. But we can always be doing more. Businesses are responsible for providing psychological safety and an open forum where all employees can share their creative thoughts without feeling marginalized. The marketing industry must work collectively to implement standard practices in accessible design, assistive technology and diversity training. But in a way, that fits seamlessly into everyday ways of working.”

Mike Grindell, chief people officer, Guided by Good: “We embrace hybrid workspaces that inherently engender a workplace that’s accessible to people with disabilities. We also educate our employees on workplace accessibility and accessibility in advertising. That comes through in a few ways. Earlier this year, we ran an anonymous and inclusive self-identification survey to help us better understand who our people are, how they show up and, ultimately, how we can ensure we are supporting them from our hiring, initiatives and benefits. In previous years, we’ve given those of this community and their allies the podium to share their stories and needs of the workplace. This year, we held a fireside chat to celebrate the growing inclusion movement within marketing and advertising. We explored the impact of organizations like The Shine Side in connecting brands with talented individuals with disabilities. We invited The Shine Side’s founder, Sasha Nicole, Connor Tomlinson (star of Love on the Spectrum and marketing talent) and Lise (Connor’s Mom) to share their experiences and insights on navigating the industry.”

Alicia Iveson, CEO, Hijinks: “As a small startup, we can’t so far speak to physical disabilities at Hijinks, but we are hyper-aware that not all disabilities are visible and we do have a number of the team who are neurodiverse. That has led us to be very considerate about how we create a modern workplace that works for everyone. We have been flexible and hybrid from the outset to enable an open dialogue about ways of working that best fit the individual. Anyone can speak up about their needs, for example, family commitments, personal appointments, body rhythms or working patterns. The by-product is a trusting, committed and high-performing environment.”

Lauren Kay-Lambert, co-managing director, and Callum Jackson, strategy Lead, Shape History: “At Shape History, we view disability holistically, considering physical, mental and cognitive aspects. With 25% of our team identifying as neurodiverse, our Neurodiversity Steering Group actively fosters an inclusive workplace. Our strategy focuses on three key areas: Work & Partnerships, Policies & Practices and Culture & Environment. We’ve implemented personalized workplace passports and partner codes of conduct, tailored interview processes and sensory tools. We’ve also embraced remote working, educated teams on physical disabilities and ensured proper accommodations. If we’re serious about equity, our sector has to put every kind of disability front and center of its culture. Open dialogue and compassion can reveal how easily such adaptations can be made.”