Today we are marking International Day of Disabled People with our partners at ITV and in the wider broadcast industry, with an event to explore what more we can do to bolster the representation of disabled people.
UK broadcasters have already committed to doubling disability, but it is the first time we have come together in this way to discuss this important issue. It is vital that as an industry we can build the trust of our disabled colleagues in knowing they will be supported and nurtured in their career progression.
The BBC is committed to increasing the representation of disabled people on and off screen, and to reaching our workplace target for disabled staff of 12% by 2022. It is a year since we published our report on Career Progression and Culture for disabled staff at the BBC. And I am pleased that today we have announced a three-part plan designed to significantly improve representation of - and opportunities for - disabled people on and off air, building on the progress we have made so far.
Since I joined the BBC in January this year, I have been working with my colleagues across the organisation, including our staff network Ability, to begin delivering the key recommendations in the report. Front and center to this work has been the implementation of an optional Workplace Disability Passport. We have been developing the passport structure and the key policy to underpin it, and today we have shared our plans to roll it for use by staff in early 2020.
To my mind, the implementation of a disability or wellbeing passport is crucial to improving employee engagement and removing barriers to progression. The passport will allow individuals to provide detail about the impact of any health condition(s) alongside any existing workplace adjustment(s) already in place. As it will be a live document, individuals can update the passport when required. It also offers employees the opportunity to discuss any changes in circumstances with current and future managers, either in their existing role or new roles.
Different disabilities come with their own set of needs and requirements and they can often be complex to support. The passport will allow individual staff to properly explain their conditions, along with early warning signs for individuals with mental health conditions or emotional well-being needs. The process of completing the passport will act as a starting point for sensitive conversations with an individual and their manager, helping to foster a stronger relationship to develop based on trust.
As the passport concept is not tied to one department or business unit, it can be taken from role to role whenever an employee decides to change jobs and support managers in facilitating that transition. I believe it to be a fundamental component to creating a more inclusive and open culture in allowing the BBC to develop a greater understanding of both hidden and visible conditions.
The passport will operate alongside a range of initiatives, including training for managers and staff and a reverse mentoring scheme currently in-pilot for senior leaders, designed to support disabled staff. Our ambition is that the passport will be embraced across the industry and we are in talks with our partners to make this happen. Over time we expect to see a greater number of disabled staff develop their careers and move into senior management roles.
