Business and Finance

Recognising individuals working in commercial organisations, those championing and challenging internal and external processes to be more inclusive. This category highlights diversity leads at all levels working as entrepreneurs, employees and managers from sole-traders to multi-national corporations. What brings them together is their passion to disability inclusivity at the heart of their organisations.

Cross-Sector Advocate

Everyone’s disability journey and experience is different and diverse. Informing all aspects of a person’s life and identity. We recognise this and our new award celebrates people who don’t fit into one category, individuals who are known beyond their sector, the all-rounders, entrepreneurs, exceptional leaders and challengers.

Education and Research

How we learn and what we learn is a huge factor in who we become. This category celebrates academics and educational professionals exploring how learning opens new pathways. Those sharing their research and knowledge to increase diversity and society’s understanding of their specialist fields and/or disability.

Grassroots Community Advocate

Some of the most important changes start with one person making a difference in their local community, seeing the need and responding to it. This category is for anyone who is challenging the disability status quo in their local community or advocating for their specialist sector.

Politics, Law and Media

Recognising those whose influence shapes our society, our laws and our outlook from leading campaigners, politicians and lawyers who change policies and laws through the courts, to journalists bringing stories and experiences to light, this category recognises the deep reach this work has into other peoples’ lives.

Science, Engineering, Technology, Property and Construction

Celebrating the individuals designing-in accessibility. Improving lives of people using their services and products from the domestic and personal to large-scale infrastructure projects. People challenging stereotypes, demanding their industries become more diverse and creating change for future generations

Sport, Health and Wellbeing

Sport, health and wellbeing celebrates individuals promoting physical and mental activity to positively contribute to wellbeing. People at the top of their game – be they Paralympians, Sunday league, or local activity leaders – or wellbeing and health campaigners questioning disabled people’s treatment, medically and by society.

Transport, Retail, Service and Hospitality

How the purple pound is spent impacts the UK economy. This new category recognises the importance of disabled people as customers and consumers – and celebrates the business leaders making their offer more inclusive. 

Best campaign

Demanding change, challenging stereotypes and creating better inclusion starts with a campaign. This category recognises the public campaigns making a difference to people’s lives by changing attitudes or improving access – either from an organisation or individual.

Change making organisation

Some organisations just get it right. They live their values, purpose and behaviours. They are inclusive, their colleagues are a community. Disabled people actively choose to support them, purchase from them, work for them or commission them. Why? because these are the organisations changing disabled people’s lives for the better.

Best large employer

This category is for organisations with more than 250 employees.

All employees thrive when their needs are met. Where there are opportunities for growth and progression. This category recognises the large employers offering flexibility, inclusion and opportunities. Employers with strong policies, processes and cultures that make their disabled employees feel valued.

The Clare Gray Rising Star

This category recognises people at the start of their advocacy journey who are beginning to make an impact and create change. It celebrates potential and ambition.