In commemoration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day last week, we highlight the words of Katy Talikowska, CEO of the Valuable 500, the global business partnership of 500 companies collaborating to stop disability exclusion. 

This week, we reflect on Talikowska's perspective on the importance of being curious and question-led within disability-inclusive leadership: 

A Trailblazer in Diversity Representation  

Katy Talikowska is the CEO of Valuable 500, the global disability organisation that works with 500 leading businesses, including Microsoft, Unilever, and Google. These organisations have over 22 million employees across 41 countries, and all have vowed to put disability inclusion on their boardroom agendas. 

Before she joined Valuable 500 in 2023, Talikowska spent three decades in advertising and marketing. During this period, she worked at the prominent advertising agency AMV, where she had a leading position in Maltesers' groundbreaking disability campaign in 2016. 

Leadership Driven by Understanding Diverse Experiences 

Talikowska notes that concepts such as Global Accessibility Awareness Day may be used by organisations to make token gestures towards disability issues. However, she maintains that genuine representation constitutes the active participation of disabled voices across all levels of businesses. 15% of the global population experiences a disability, and over 50% face obstacles when using content or products. Talikowska's answer to overcoming these barriers is to include disabled people and give them a voice in all different spaces, from boardrooms to consumer focus groups. 

Talikowska’s quote underscores a vital aspect of authentic leadership: approaching disability with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and ensuring disabled voices are meaningfully included in key conversations. True disability-inclusive leadership is rooted in a deep understanding of lived experience. Talikowska's approach aligns with the Laidlaw value of being #Curious and the Oxford Character Project Leadership Virtue of #Collaboration. Being curious means leading with understanding and by asking questions. Collaboration means taking a cooperative approach to leadership, listening to others' lived experiences and creating innovative solutions to these barriers. 

A Call to Reflect 

We invite you to reflect on Katy Talikowska's powerful leadership insights. Share your thoughts in the comments: What does being a curious and collaborative leader mean to you in the context of disability inclusion?