If there’s one business that truly understands people’s diverse needs, it’s Virgin

If there’s one business that truly understands people’s diverse needs, it’s Virgin. Sir
Richard Branson has been such an inspiration, talking fearlessly about his own
dyslexia and why society needs to see neurodiversity in a new way. That these aren’t
disabilities but superpowers. ActionAble25 is thrilled that he’s taken such an interest
in our work and our special day of action on February 26th . I sat down with Richard to
talk about his experiences and how they’ve guided Virgin’s approach to making its
culture more inclusive – and you’ll be able to watch and read about our interview
next week.

First of all, I want to tell you about a brilliant sit-down I just had with Virgin’s Chief
People Officer, Nikki Humphrey, who explained how ‘constant learning’ has been
embedded into the company’s culture so that employees feel able to speak about
their own disabilities in an empowering way.

It’s led Virgin to transform its HQ in central London into a building that, as well as
being sensitive to the needs of people like me in a wheelchair, understands how to
get the best out of those with neurodiverse needs.

As Nikki told me: ‘As soon as we bought this building in Fitzrovia we made it as
accessible as possible. Vertical lifts, a reception desk with two heights allowing all
guests to be greeted without barriers, and a unique structure to each floor. At ground
level, there’s a real buzz, lots of vibrant colours. And then as you go up each floor, it
gets quieter and calmer, the colours of the walls and lighting more muted, the space
more welcoming for people who want to escape that noise, which is particularly
important for people with neurodiverse thinking.

‘Neurodiverse colleagues need a different environment to operate at optimum levels.
For us, it was the first thing we thought about when it came to design – and it didn’t
cost a penny. We just listened. I remember Richard coming into the building for the
first time and adjusting the lighting himself. It really opened my eyes to how we need
to think differently to live in the shoes of people with disability.’

It's obvious that Sir Richard’s leadership has had a profound impact on the entire
company. At ActionAble, we want more people in senior positions, all the way up to
board level, to talk about their own experiences with disability. Because the more
open we are, the more we can transform the workplace in a positive way. As Nikki
says, it’s about empowerment.

‘This is a company where everyone feels able to be themselves,’ she added. We
want to encourage people not to see their disability as a vulnerability. The more
awareness we all have, the easier it is for people to express themselves honestly
and authentically. And that feeds back into the relationships we have with our
customers. When you look after your people, they will look after your customers.’

I loved hearing about Virgin Australia’s new ‘try before you fly’ offering which gives
disabled customers a chance to see how their experience in the airport and on the
plane will be before they buy tickets. A really simple way to cut out the anxiety that I

know so many disabled passengers feel. And I had no idea that Virgin Atlantic’s
Cabin Crew teams are proficient in sign language.

I just hope that ActionAble helps other companies learn about the measures they
can adopt to bring that level of empathy into the workplace. To make that
commitment to ensure our companies are more diverse, inclusive and responsive to
people’s needs.