Large and small businesses who have carried out exceptional work in hiring, retaining and supporting disabled people in the workplace have been recognised in the annual Disability Confident Awards in London.

Judged by DWP’s Disability Confident team, winners were chosen from a wide selection of strong nominations ranging from tech companies developing accessible equipment to a heritage trust breaking down barriers for disabled people.

The two winners, chosen for their work in the travel industry and fitness sector, were:

• Small organisation winner (less than 250 employees) – Seable, a bespoke travel agent who provide experiences for people who are visually impaired. The company hires blind and partially sighted people who share their lived experiences, so holidays reflect the needs of their customers.

• Big organisation winner (More than 250 employees) – The Gym Group, who run schemes such as the Inclusive Traineeship which helps disabled people in the workplace with dedicated support staff and programmes to help them break into the fitness industry.

The Disability Confident scheme is a Government initiative designed to encourage employers to recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. It has more than 19,000 members, with more than 12 million employees working in their businesses.

To become a Disability Confident employer, organisations must provide accessible and inclusive recruitment practices and a public commitment to supporting employees with a disability. These also signal to disabled jobseekers which companies may be suitable for their needs.

Minister for Social Security and Disabled People Sir Stephen Timms, said:

It has been great to see so many organisations leading by example to support disabled employees in the workplace. I congratulate everyone who has been nominated.

The standard of the nominations for each category have been outstanding and it was difficult to select the finalists and winners who have all showed inspiring best practice to help other employers to start their Disability Confident journey.

A Seable spokesperson said:

We’re incredibly proud to win the Disability Confident Award.

We are dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible travel experiences for the visually impaired community and reinforces our mission to break down barriers within the travel industry and champion true inclusivity in everything we do.

The Disability Confident scheme helps businesses make a first step towards making their workplaces more suitable for disabled employees. These start with companies making commitments to support disabled people in the workplace which can include making sure recruitment processes are accessible, offering work experience, and providing reasonable adjustments for existing employees.