Professor Debbie Foster nationally recognised in Disability Power 100 list
11 December 2023
Debbie Foster, Professor of Employment Relations and Diversity at Cardiff Business School has been named in the Disability Power 100 as one of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK - working to break the stigma around disability to create a more accessible and inclusive world for all.
The Disability Power 100 celebrates ambition and achievement, and plays a role in changing society by recognising the strengths and talents of disabled people who are pioneers, changemakers and influencers.
Professor Foster has been named in the Disability Power 100 Education category.
She is recognised for her work as Co-Chair of the Welsh Government's Disability Rights Taskforce, alongside Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt. The Taskforce, established by First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, was set up in response to the 'Locked out: liberating disabled people's lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19' report co-produced by Professor Foster.
The outcome of the Taskforce will be a new 10 year Disability Rights Action Plan for Wales, which will be co-produced by disabled people and Welsh Government.
“Nothing about us without us is the philosophy of the disability rights movement. I have been honoured to have participated and helped facilitate a number of groundbreaking projects that have been co-produced with disabled people and their organisations for the benefit of disabled people in wider society, drawing on my own lived experiences.”
Professor Foster has also completed research on the experience of negotiating workplace adjustments and looking at why work accommodations should be regarded as a key industrial relations process.
More recently, she led a project that was partnered with the Disabled Solicitors Network of the Law Society of England and Wales. This co-produced research findings about the career experiences of disabled people working as legal professionals. Findings have influenced the diversity and inclusion strategies of the Law Society and legal regulators, but most importantly have empowered disabled people in the legal profession to use the evidence base from the research to argue for change.
In January 2023 she was named as one of 100 Changemakers by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales for her work with Welsh Government.
The Disability Power 100 finalists were selected by an independent judging panel chaired by Andrew Miller MBE from more than 1500 public nominations. Full details of this year’s finalists can be found at Disability Power 100.
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Professor of Employment Relations and Diversity
