When the Badge Doesn’t Match the Practice
A disability inclusion badge means very little if access still breaks down in practice.
I’ve noticed how different two organisations can be, even when both proudly display the same Disability Confident badge.
Both knew my access requirements from the start.
I needed a qualified BSL interpreter for the interview.
Not as a nice-to-have.
Not as a preference.
As the adjustment that made the process fair, equal, and accessible.
One organisation held Disability Confident Leader status.
The highest level.
But when my interview was confirmed, no interpreter had been arranged.
The interview could not go ahead because my access needs had not been met.
A rejection email was then sent the same day.
There were delays.
Mixed messages.
And no real sense of accountability.
I withdrew my application.
Another organisation held Disability Confident Employer status.
A lower level.
But when something went wrong, they acknowledged it.
They apologised quickly and sincerely.
They confirmed an interpreter.
They listened when I explained which provider was not suitable.
They rearranged the interview with the adjustments in place.
I felt respected.
Heard.
Able to move forward.
Same badge.
Different level.
Completely different experience.
That is what stayed with me.
Because disability confidence is not proven by the logo on a job advert.
It is proven by what happens when access needs are named.
It is proven in the communication.
The follow-through.
The willingness to listen.
The accountability when something goes wrong.
For Deaf candidates, a badge alone does not guarantee equity.
Actions do.
I want to acknowledge the organisation that got it right, because they showed that accessibility can be handled well when people listen, respond, and act with care.
Accessibility is not a favour.
It is a right.
And how an organisation handles access says far more than the badge it displays.
