The dust is just settling after the ActionAble 2025 event, and I wanted to share some early personal reflections and takeaways with you before we have completed the full evaluation.
Designed to drive meaningful action in Disability Inclusion, Sara Weller, ImpactMatch, the partners and Ambassadors brought together 900 business leaders, 30 specialist service providers, and 62 speakers – and what an inspirational, action-packed day it was!
ActionAble 2025 for me wasn’t about lofty speeches or theoretical discussions. Instead, it focused on what we truly need right now: practical, actionable strategies to create real change. Whether you joined us live or missed out, my commitment to act is to make all of the content free to access whether you attended or not, and for those that missed it or want to revisit, it’s here on the platform.
Driving Action, Not Just Talk
The most resounding message for me in leading up to the event and the strategy behind it, as is many the case with events, was enough “talk shops” and with over 500 organisations taking concrete steps to kickstart their action plans even just during the event I am really pleased we went someway to make progress. This powerful movement signalled to us a turning point in how businesses and leaders can engage.
Our post-event data is starting to demonstrate a solid picture of impact:
- 62% of attendees reported their organisations lacked or could improve their Disability Action Plans, demonstrating we were right to host this event.
- After attending, 93% felt more confident about accessing disabled talent, with a 20% increase in those feeling “very confident” after the Workplaces That Work session.
- 93% of attendees expressed greater confidence in the importance of line managers and role model in fostering inclusion.
- 95% of business leaders so far have said that the event demonstrated collaboration between different organisations and individuals working together.
This kind of feedback for me validates the very purpose of what ActionAble 2025 was all about.
Cross-Sector Collaboration at Its Best
One of the most profound aspects of the event for me was its ability to foster collaboration across sectors. Not just on the day but the work behind it. I have sincerely loved working with Business Disability Forum, Lloyds Banking Group, Channel 4, Scope, Purple Space and the Valuable 500. From inspiring talks by our 62 speakers to the valuable insights shared by 30 specialist exhibitors and their 140 free resources, the day created opportunities for connection and learning, which saved busy leaders time. Where else can you sit at your desk, be inspired by 62 speakers and have the support on hand via the exhibition booths and the action plan to drive the action not just on the day but ongoing?
As one example, an impressive 615 business leaders visited the live exhibition booths, to learn about the specialist support and services available, that ranged from innovative technology to practical strategies for inclusion.
Technology and Accessibility
At ActionAble 2025, technology and accessibility wasn’t an afterthought, it was foundational. We had to find a solution that could bring speakers together with solutions which could be available on the day and afterwards for thousands of people and be free to access, so available to everyone.
For accessibility, we worked with ten BSL interpreters and eight human captioners to provide adjustments tailored to participant needs. Our goal was to create an inclusive experience for everyone. Leveraging one of the two government-approved platform suppliers, we personally addressed all requests for adjustments and assistance before the event. We tested the user journey with people with lived experience, and by making the content free and available 24/7, we hope to drive further access.
While we were immensely proud of this success, we also recognise that experimenting with relatively new technology, to drive action on this scale, came with its challenges. Feedback from user testing and attendees on improving the user experience has been invaluable. We’ve shared this with the service providers, who have already made changes and continue to do so.
One of the most important lessons we learned here was the value of being adaptive and that it is hard when there are sometimes conflicting adjustment requests. Leading up to the event, we received diverse expert opinions about accessibility options like audio descriptions, and human versus AI captions. We also made real-time adjustments based on attendee feedback. Although we proactively contacted everyone who requested assistive support, some attendees also required additional adjustments that had not been requested before the event. This experience reaffirmed our commitment to listening, learning, and improving accessibility. We hope that by funding the platform for free for the next 6 months with all of the sessions now available on-demand, with access to all the Exhibition Booths with their 140 free tools, this will enable people to continue to access the content at a time to suit them.
Stories That Inspire
Sometimes, the most lasting impact for me comes from the people, not just the data. The stories we heard – both personal and organisational – brought the event’s mission to life. From businesses sharing their challenges and wins, to individuals sharing their own personal stories, these honest reflections are what I personally value the most.
For those who missed the event, don’t worry! We’ll also be sharing these stories and the event’s findings over the next six months.
Gratitude & Next Steps
ActionAble 2025 wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible volunteers, speakers, partners, exhibitors, and attendees and the IM team. Together, we proved what can happen when passion meets purpose. For me, I owe so much gratitude to Sara Weller CBE for giving ImpactMatch the opportunity to help solve this issue with her and the partners, having the faith in our strategic, campaigning, and organisational skills, and for just being an incredibly warm and kind person to work with. This event was just the beginning. We hope all of the amazing content and resources can help us all to do more. If you want to make your commitment to act please access it here.
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing detailed insights, success stories, and toolkits to help you continue your Action plans. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your strategies, we want to help ensure you have access to everything you need to drive meaningful action.
One Last Thing…
ActionAble 2025 taught us many lessons, but perhaps the most important one is this change happens when we work together. By fostering collaboration, leveraging innovation, and listening to continually improve, we hope we can create a more sustainable and equitable future for everyone.
Thank you for being part of ActionAble 2025 and if you want to share your feedback we would love that, you can share this here.
