Earlier this month, the area of disability and employment was given prominent coverage at this year’s Asian Women of Achievement Awards when the Founder and Managing Director of EmployAbility, Tab Ahmad, was awarded this prestigious award.
The Awards, held at the Hilton London on Park Lane on Wednesday 15 May, showcased some of the most inspirational women of this generation. Cherie Blair, Sarah Ferguson and HRH Princess Badiya bint El Hassan were amongst the distinguished guests.
Tab (pictured right) commented: “I am really honoured to have won the prestigious Asian Women of Achievement award.
“I hope that it will encourage more employers to partner with EmployAbility to engage in the disability space and to properly review and open up their recruitment processes to ensure that these are barrier free, enabling them to attract and recruit talented disabled students/graduates and those with experience to their businesses.
“Disabled people make up the fastest growing minority consumer market. Currently in the US, this is worth $220 billion and, in the UK £80 billion. It not only makes human sense, but it also makes business sense to value disability and diversity.”
Shortlisted with five other extremely strong nominees, the Judges were impressed by Tab’s dedication to and achievement in her pioneering work in the field of disability and employment, commenting: “Since she founded EmployAbility in 2006, Tab has been working with disabled students to help them make the jump from education to employment.
“Her work really does change the lives of young people, and we were impressed not only by her passion, but her knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit.
“Tab is not only helping students directly, but by educating employers she is changing the perception of disability in the UK.”
The spotlight was once again focused on disability when the Asian Women of Achievement’s RBS Chairman’s Award went to a disabled business leader, Sue Kakadia. Kakadia was described by the judges as “a role model not just for other women, or Asian women, but also for people with disabilities.”
EmployAbility is encouraged by acknowledgements such as these and hope that the surrounding publicity will inspire more employers to engage in the disability space, enabling them to attract, recruit and retain talented disabled employees.
EmployAbility is the not-for-profit organisation dedicated to assisting students and graduates who have dyslexia, any other disability, long term illness or mental health condition into employment; offering support, guidance and advice to both disabled people and employers throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace. They offer pertinent advice and information on disclosure of disability, disability-related adjustment requirements, as well as a range of internship and graduate programme opportunities with leading graduate employers such as Google, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Shell, Slaughter and May, Herbert Smith, Wellcome Trust, The Guardian, and many others.
Email: info@employ-ability.org.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Employ_Ability
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmployAbility
