Ep 20. Driving Disability Inclusion in Business: A Conversation with Katie Talikowska

Welcome to ‘This Is The North’ Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters Community Interest Company and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Katie Talikowska, CEO of The Valuable 500, a global movement focused on making disability a boardroom priority. The Valuable 500 is working with over 500 global businesses, including household names like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, representing a collective workforce of more than 23 million employees and a combined market cap of 23 trillion US dollars. Together, Katie and I dive into the challenges of driving systemic change, exploring the cultural differences and barriers that often stand in the way of genuine inclusion. Katie highlights the importance of inclusive leadership, transparent reporting, and authentic representation. We round off our conversation by looking ahead to the SYNC 25 Accountability Summit in Tokyo, a pivotal event for tracking progress in disability inclusion on a global scale.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - The Mission of The Valuable 500 05:09 - Tackling Cultural Differences in Disability Inclusion 08:36 - Katie’s Journey: From Advertising to Advocacy 09:09 - The Maltesers Campaign: Shifting Public Perception on Disability 14:24 - The Vision of Caroline Casey and the Birth of The Valuable 500 19:39 - Convincing Global Companies to Join The Valuable 500 22:42 - Strategic Focus Areas: Leadership, Representation, and Accountability 25:13 - Challenges with Employee Retention in Disability Inclusion 25:57 - The Role and Importance of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) 28:27 - Disability Inclusion in SMEs: How Smaller Businesses Can Make a Difference 31:11 - The Power of Intersectionality in Disability Inclusion 33:02 - Media’s Role in Normalising Disability Representation 38:50 - Dealing with Backlash Against Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Efforts 41:44 - SYNC 25: The Upcoming Accountability Summit in Tokyo 47:20 - Final Call to Action for Disability Inclusion

This conversation with Katie reinforces a crucial lesson: inclusion is not a one-off project—it’s a continuous, strategic effort that needs to be embedded into the core of every business. Katie’s work with The Valuable 500 reminds us that true progress only happens when we’re willing to push beyond surface-level diversity initiatives and hold ourselves accountable for creating lasting, systemic change. The upcoming SYNC 25 Summit will be a powerful opportunity to do just that.

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Alison Dunn (Host) Katie Talikowska (Guest) Peter Bell (Producer)

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