Susan Scott-Parker (OBE) – Founder and chief executive of Business Disability Forum


Susan in a black jacket


YouTube Video – Captions Available


Susan Scott-Parker OBE is the founder and chief executive of Business Disability Forum, the world’s leading national employers’ organisation focussed on disability as it affects business. Business Disability Forum’s some 350 members, including over 100 global companies, employ circa 20 per cent of the UK workforce. Since its establishment in 1991, Business Disability Forum members have worked closely with disabled opinion formers and key stakeholders, making it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers. Follow the BDF on twitter @disabilitysmart

Susan established a unique senior leadership team together with Business Disability Forum’s former President John Varley, who was the former Group CEO Barclays Bank. Sir Ian Cheshire, Group Chief Executive of Kingfisher Plc has now taken on the role of President. The President’s Group signals to colleagues, customers, and government that disability is now a business and a societal priority. Sir Andrew Witty CEO global CEO, GlaxoSmithKline, has recently as Founding Chairman, begun working with Susan to establish ‘Business Disability International’.

Together with the CIO Barclays Corporate (global), Susan co-chairs Business Disability Forum’s Technology Taskforce. This unique taskforce of senior ICT directors will define best practice, require global ICT suppliers to deliver more accessible products and services, and help regulators worldwide to understand what business needs from IT related standards if it is to employ and do business with disabled people. The Accessible Technology Charter ‘campaign’  was launched by some of the world’s leading corporations, including BSkyB, GSK, E & Y, Barclays, Allianz, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Oracle, in November 2011.

In 2005 Susan led the development of the Disability Standard, the world’s only Benchmark that measures corporate performance on disability as if affects an entire business. The Australian Employers Network is now piloting this standard for Australia.

Known internationally for her ability to mobilise employers to the mutual benefit of business and disabled people, Susan helped the ILO to establish the Sri Lankan Employers’ Network on Disability. She continues to work closely with the Australian Employers’ Network on Disability, Community Business in Hong Kong and Singapore, and with other emerging business led networks such as those in Spain and Canada .She has recently addressed the UN Council on Human Rights (Geneva), the Essl Foundation Global Conference (Vienna) and the Saudi Arabian business /government disability network.

Susan pioneered the world’s first leadership programme for people with disabilities, in partnership with the Coverdale Organisation.

Susan is also a longstanding board member of the Central School of Ballet and of the British Quality Foundation, and sits on the expert advisory panel for the Australian employment agency, Workfocus. In 2012 Susan joined the International Scientific Advisory Board for the Essl Foundation in Vienna.

Susan was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000 and received her Honorary Doctorate from Bradford University in 2003. Susan is a Canadian who has lived and worked in the UK for over 25 years. – See more at: http://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk (This will open in a new Tab)

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