Protecting Accessibility in a DEI Backlash Era: ORA at Naidex 2025
As organisations face growing pressure to pull back on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, accessibility is at real risk of becoming collateral damage. At Naidex 2025, ORA hosted a powerful panel discussion—From Progress to Peril—to confront this uncomfortable reality head-on.
Chaired by ORA co-founder David Dew-Veal, the panel brought together leading voices in the disability inclusion space to ask: How do we protect accessibility when DEI is under threat?
Watch the full conversation and hear directly from:
Hafsa Ameen, Transport & Tech Strategist, ORA Watch the full panel discussion
Victoria Jenkins, CEO & Founder, Unhidden
Samantha Renke, Actress, Presenter & Disability Rights Campaigner
Dom Hyams, Co-Founder & CEO, Purple Goat
What We Covered
- The real and growing DEI backlash, and how it threatens hard-won gains in accessibility
- The strong business case for inclusive design and disability representation
- How language and visibility shape cultural narratives
- The potential and pitfalls of technology, especially AI, in shaping accessible futures
- The importance of community, collaboration, and allyship in moving forward
Key Takeaways
- Inclusion is non-negotiable. It’s about removing barriers to opportunity—for everyone.
- Personal stories carry power—humanising the cause and galvanising action.
- Tech won’t save us unless it’s built inclusively, from the ground up.
- Unity within the disabled community is essential to creating systemic change.
- Bias in AI is already here—and we must be proactive in addressing it.
Why It Matters
This wasn’t just a panel. It was a rallying cry.
Inclusion doesn’t happen passively—it takes intentionality, bold conversations, and collective effort. And as DEI initiatives come under fire, we must not let accessibility be the first thing to go.
If anything, now is the time to double down, get louder, and push harder.
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