A leading media company aiming at a target of 12 per cent of employees with disabilities

The BBC's Extend program reserves job roles for applicants with disabilities. By 2024, 100+ roles were adapted for accessibility, with a target of 12% of its workforce identifying as disabled by 2027.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the UK’s Public Service Broadcaster, and BBC Extend is its positive action employment programme to help employ more people with disabilities. Rather than creating new jobs, BBC Extend ‘ring-fences’ a growing number of job roles for which only people with disabilities can apply; and as of October 2024 the initiative has expanded to more than 100 roles across the entire corporation. BBC´s goal is to have 12 per cent of their workforce identifying as disabled by 2027.

Problems Targeted

Many employment programmes for disabled people are temporary, entry level, or low-skills jobs.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the UK’s public service broadcaster, renowned for its global trust and output, and BBC Extend is the corporation’s employment programme specifically designed for disabled individuals. Instead of creating new or unique positions for disabled job seekers, BBC Extend reserves existing job roles that the corporation is already recruiting for, allowing only individuals with disabilities to apply. Until 2023, BBC Extend was limited to BBC News and focused on creating short-term entry-level and trainee opportunities within the division. Starting in 2023, however, the initiative was expanded across the entire corporation, with over 100 positions of varying seniority being reserved and advertised exclusively for disabled candidates. The BBC aims to better represent the audiences it serves, and is committed to achieving its goal of having at least 12 per cent of its total workforce identify as disabled by 2027, up from 9.3 per cent in March 2024. More than 200 job seekers with disabilities have attended Open Days. An investment of £100,000 (approximately $120,000) was made in a targeted social media campaign and related events. In mid-2024 Nations Division, the division in charge of broadcasting services for the UK, implemented a policy where 50 to 100 per cent of all recruitment went through BBC Extend for six months, covering approximately 200 roles.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The BBC is primarily funded by the licence fee paid by UK households. The cost of recruiting staff is met by the department in which they work. One major aim of BBC Extend was to recruit 2 to 3 senior managers with disabilities by the end of 2024. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)

Pictures

BBC Extend ‘ring-fences’ job roles for which only people with disabilities can apply.

BBC Extend ‘ring-fences’ job roles for which only people with disabilities can apply.

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