Discover drives disability-inclusive change at the firm through:
- Education: embedding the social model of disability across the firm.
- Removing barriers to inclusion: implementing policy change.
- Support: providing disabled people with the tools to access resources, assistive technology, other workplace adjustments, and wellbeing support.
- Outreach: collaborating with disabled people's organisations to continue learning and creating opportunities.
Achievements
- Since its inception in 2021, Discover has brought about significant operational and cultural changes to attract and retain more disabled talent at Fieldfisher. 6% of our people now self-define as disabled, which is above the 3% law firm average.
- In 2022, Fieldfisher became one of the first law firms to introduce a disability leave policy and, prior to this, was one of the first to launch a neurodiversity policy.
- We also on-boarded disability consultant, Diversity & Ability, who undertook a wholescale review of our HR & IT policies, resulting in changes being implemented across our recruitment, reasonable adjustment, and assistive technology provisions to ensure the social model of disability (defining disability by societal barriers) is embedded throughout.
- As part of our outreach work, Discover was asked to advise a leading UK university on a new programme in disability law, providing best practice guidance on language.
- Fieldfisher also has long-term pro bono partnerships with Access Social Care, a community- care justice organisation, and Whizz-Kidz, a leading organisation for young wheelchair users.