FDA at the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference

The FDA’s delegation attended the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference in Bournemouth, alongside FDA National Officer for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Amelia Dowler.

Delegate Chloé François-Oatway said she “felt privileged” to move the FDA’s motion asking for better support and understanding of workers awaiting diagnosis and treatment. She stated that speeches supporting the motion “emphasised how important it is that we foster an inclusive and empathetic culture in the workplace, where everyone can access support no matter what their circumstances are”.

The FDA supported a motion on Access to Work, which highlighted that more than 62,000 disabled people are currently waiting for support. FDA delegate Sharon Docherty said: “The conference was a powerful reminder that structural barriers – not individual limitation – are what keep disabled people out of work, and that solidarity and practical action can shift that reality.”

FDA delegate Alyson Taylor also spoke to support a motion on reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Jon Martlew, Benjamin Holland, Josh Smith and David Hopkins also attended as FDA delegates, with Hopkins adding that the conference was “an uplifting and motivating experience to understand how we can and will break down barriers through unity”.