Journalists from across the UK will be taking part in the Disability Journalism Forum in Leeds later this month, taking place outisde London for the first time.
The free conference is at Leeds Beckett University’s city campus on Friday 18th September, or you can attend online.
Speakers include George Fenton from The Guardian, ITV’s Jessica Clayton and Callum Ronan from BBC Radio Leeds, with panels on regional journalism, technology innovation and creative careers.
This is the fourth year of the conference, with the previous three being hosted by News UK, the BBC and Sky News.
Co-chair and BBC Yorkshire journalist Kit Taylor said: “Joined by some excellent guests, we’ll be talking about how to support accessibility and diversity in the newsroom, and how disabled and neurodivergent talent can thrive in the creative industry.
“We also want to start conversations with managers and editors about things that need to be improved to bring more disabled and neurodivergent talent in.”
The aim of this year’s conference is ‘Creating Connections’, focusing on networking and mentoring, connecting journalists with roles outside of London.
Unsurprisingly, accessibility is a priority for the event, with the choice of attending in person or online. There will be BSL interpreters and human-generated captions, step-free venue access, accessible toilets, and accessible parking spots. Leeds station is 15 minutes away. There is a quiet room and relief areas and water for assistance animals.
There are still free tickets available – and anyone working in media, communications or just interested in diversity is encouraged to book a place.