Thursday 7th March; 9.30am to 11.00am
Virtual Disability Insight
All employees want, and need, is to be managed and supported in the workplace to enable them to work effectively and fulfil their potential. And, at times, some of us may need additional support for various reasons. However, the support required by an individual with a disability or health condition can be very different to what those without a disability require, and it can be difficult to envisage what this looks like. We talk about ‘reasonable adjustments’ but what is reasonable? What types of adjustments should employers be providing? How do we source them? And how do they work in practice?
To shed light on these questions we will be joined by a panel of individuals who will talk about their personal experiences of disability, and how they manage this in the workplace. There will be the opportunity to learn about the types of support and adjustments that can be provided as well as about the different approaches that various organisations take to disability and how they support their disabled employees.
Speakers
Ghazi AbuYounis
Ghazi was diagnosed with Albinism at birth – a genetic condition that affects both the eyes and skin. Throughout his academic life, he received a lot of support from school and university but when it came to deciding on a career path, many had discouraged him from studying law (given the intensity of the reading) and he was told it would be impossible for someone with a visual impairment.
Ghazi took a chance against all odds and graduated from City University London with a Bachelor of Law with Honours. He then completed his Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School and joined Allen & Overy to complete his Training Contract and qualify as a Solicitor. Ghazi is now a Senior Associate at Allen & Overy, specialising in Projects, Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure.
Adam Dempsey-Doyle
Adam is a mid-level associate at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in the Technology, Media, Telecoms and Data team (TMT&D). He previously spent three years as an Assistant Manager in the Commercial Data and Technology team at KPMG Law, and prior to qualifying he trained at Baker McKenzie. He has also spent time on secondment to the commercial operations legal team at Amazon and is currently on secondment to a Middle Eastern based client.
Throughout his time at school and into his career, Adam have suffered with a variety of bouts of mental ill health. Whilst a junior lawyer, he had to undergo various mental health treatments, take periods of time off work, and continues to seek treatment on an intermittent basis. This has forced a level of transparency and honesty that previously had not been widely discussed in the legal profession, especially during periods of intensity. In his current role, Adam has adopted a flexible way of working and strives to be an example of the benefits that open conversations and allyship can bring.
Adam has a keen interest being an advocate and role model for peers and superiors alike to foster an inclusive and diverse support network. He has worked to speak out, mentor, and coach others and believes in the importance of improving the accessibility of the profession to all.
Abigail Lewis
Abigail has spent almost twenty years working in content creation, providing careers advice for students and graduates seeking their first job. Having graduated with a masters degree from the University of Warwick, she worked her way up from editorial administrator to leading the content team. She is passionate about helping students and graduates to make the best choices for them and to thrive within the workplace.
Abigail has had a visible, physical disability from birth and now walks with a rollator. She is particularly keen to share how she has been supported when working in an SME without the resources of larger companies.
Taryn Nanjiani
Taryn is a People and Culture (P&C) Advisor supporting bp’s Trading and Shipping entity. Since leaving school in 2015, Taryn has worked in a variety of roles with both global and local remits across a range of industries. Her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion lead to her joining bp as a P&C Degree Apprentice in 2020, hoping to gain the skills and knowledge required to make the workplace a more inclusive place whilst working towards a degree in Business Studies at the University of West London.
After many years of struggling with generalised anxiety disorder culminating in a 6-month sickness absence from work, Taryn was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD in January 2023. Though she is still at the start of her journey to feel comfortable with her ADHD, the diagnosis has revolutionised her life, helping her to understand why she often struggles with tasks that others complete effortlessly, but isn’t phased by some tasks that others find daunting. Taryn’s enthusiasm to challenge negative perceptions and preconceived ideas of these conditions is what fuels her drive for transparency and honesty when discussing her lived experiences.
Rosie Watterson
Rosie is an associate in the London finance department of the leading US firm King & Spalding International LLP, specialising in leveraged finance and fund finance. Before moving to King & Spalding she trained and qualified into the general banking team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
Rosie was born with an upper limb deficiency, which means that her left arm stops just below the elbow. Rosie is active in the D&I space, with a particular passion for graduate recruitment. She previously ran an award-winning blog aimed at students applying for training contracts and vacation schemes, and now works towards promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession by contributing to legal publications, mentoring students and speaking at D&I graduate recruitment events.
Rosie is a state school educated first generation university graduate and lawyer from the north of England, and is particularly interested in intersectionality and how it impacts access to the legal profession.
Our Disability Insights provide an opportunity to hear from those with lived experience of disability. They are designed to be hugely interactive and thought provoking. There will be the opportunity to engage in conversations and debate with our speakers, to ask questions, and to learn more about subjects that are unfamiliar to us. Our Disability Insights will enable you to understand more about certain disabilities, of how workplace adjustments work in practice, as well as other considerations in the workplace.
Suitable for anyone interested in understanding more about disability from first-hand experiences.
MyPlus Recruiters’ Club members are entitled to 8 complimentary places.
Non-members may purchase places at a price of £95 + VAT. Contact lise@myplusconsulting.com to purchase places or to find out more about Recruiters’ Club membership.
MyPlus run a variety of these types of events for employers. For details of the different types visit our events page. For details of forthcoming Recruiters’ Club events taking place visit our events calendar page.
