Ability Network at Sage

Ability Network – supporting colleagues with disability and neurodiverse conditions at Sage.

Disability is one of six focus areas in our global DEI strategy.  Sage works in partnership globally with the Business Disability Forum (BDF) to help guide us on our disability inclusion journey and move from vision through to execution. In 2023, the BDF supported us to deliver a comprehensive review of our workplace adjustments/accommodations processes, through a lens of accessibility, disability, and neurodiversity. As a result, we are currently rolling out improved systems across all our locations to better support our colleagues. 

Aligned with our company mission of removing barriers so that everyone can thrive, we are a signatory of the Valuable 500 Charter. Our commitments include reaching a better understanding of our colleagues through data, so that we can set meaningful representation goals, and better supporting our colleague-led Ability Networks. We are immensely proud of our Colleague Success Networks around the world, including the Ability Networks. The Ability Networks provide space for colleagues to connect, learn, and offer support, sharing knowledge and ideas in areas of visible and invisible disability and neurodiversity. Barriers to inclusion identified by network members are fed back to the DEI team and senior leadership to resolve.” 

We have global Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Ambassadors for each of our DEI focus areas, which include disability and neurodiversity. The role of each ELT Ambassador is to drive accountability and shared ownership for the intersection of diversity at the most senior levels of the business. 

Run by Sage’s fantastic User Experience team, the Accessibility Guild holds monthly presentations and workshops, delving into topics like accessible collaboration, design, and web accessibility. Read more about how we’re making accessibility and inclusivity a priority at Sage. 

We also provide award-winning accessibility training to all colleagues, developed by our brilliant Learning & Development and User Experience teams.

Finding my feet—living and working with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Kerry Walsh is a woman determined not to be defined by her rare disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which she has had since birth and which currently has no cure. 

Rather, Kerry has boldly rewritten her own history as a “rare disease warrior” and, in this episode of Life at Sage, discusses the sense of purpose and career success (via the Pathways program) that it's brought her. 

As well as offering strategies both to companies looking to increase disability hires as well as other people living with disabilities on how to survive and thrive in the corporate world, Kerry discusses the launch of her book on the topic: Finding My Feet.

Take a deep-dive into this heroic journey of self-awareness and accomplishment.

 Accessibility Champions Network

Furthermore, we have an Accessibility Champions Network - a group of colleagues passionate about accessibility who in their various roles across the business, are contibuting heavily towards making Sage more accessible to everyone. Read below about why some of these folks are so plugged in.

I became an accessibility champion here because...

"Accessibility allows us to tap into everyone's potential" - Debra Ruh