Business Disability Forum: A Practical Employer Guide
What Is the Business Disability Forum?
The Business Disability Forum (BDF) is a not-for-profit membership organisation that works with businesses to recruit and retain disabled employees and serve disabled customers more effectively. Founded in 1986 (as the Employers' Forum on Disability), BDF today counts over 600 member organisations employing more than 20% of the UK workforce.
BDF operates as a practical resource hub — not a regulator. Its goal is to make it easier to be disability-smart in business.
Website: businessdisabilityforum.org.uk
Core BDF Services for Employers
1. Disability Standard
The Disability Standard is BDF's flagship benchmarking framework. It measures employer performance across 10 areas:
- Leadership and accountability
- Strategy and planning
- Awareness and communication
- Training and development
- Inclusive recruitment
- Flexible working and job design
- Adjustments and support
- Pay, benefits, and progression
- Products and services
- Supply chain and partnerships