THE Kingsley Organisation, in partnership with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, held a business breakfast at Audleys Wood Hotel, in Basingstoke.

Introduced by Helen Dayson, chief executive officer of the Kingsley Organisation, the guest speakers included Adrian Ward, from the Business Disability Forum, discussing how to make it easier and more rewarding to do business with and employ disabled people.

Andy Brown, from the Department for Work and Pensions, provided information on access to work, and Esi Hardy, from Celebrating Disability an (independent consultancy), spoke about the power of terminology.

The main theme of the conference was the barriers to disability and employment, while providing information and resources to tackle them.

Iain Speed, an independent consultant from All Inclusive, who has worked for the Kingsley Organisation, gave a talk entitled Disabled People are Employment Assets.

And Emma Grant, training manager for the Kingsley Organisation, concluded the morning by exploring “where to go from here?”, inspiring those present to positively reflect on their employment practices, while encouraging disabled people to apply for positions with confidence.

Sue Greene, from Community First East Hampshire, said she had been enthused and motivated by the business breakfast, which she felt engendered the right mix of attitudes, motivation and support.

The Kingsley Organisation runs the Kingsley Centre - a venue which supports disabled people to pursue their ambitions by valuing each person as an individual and enabling opportunity and choice.