Lawyer gets platform at discrimination conference

A Chelmsford lawyer with her own experiences of disability discrimination will be helping a national audience to understand the complexities of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

Sherie Griffiths, head of Griffiths Legal, will be among the high-profile speakers at the CBI Conference Centre in London on February 28. The ìDisability, Equality at Work Conferenceî is aimed at promoting the effective involvement of disabled people in the workplace.

Sherieís fellow speakers include Ann McGuire MP, Minister for Disability, Kay Carberry, assistant General Secretary of the TUC, and Liam Proudlock who has been responsible for providing accessible work places at the BBC since 1992.

Sherie, who is based at Lyttleton House in Chelmsford in Essex, will be adding her views from the perspective of a businesswoman as well as from the perspective of a person with a disability.

Sherie, who is blind, will be sharing her legal expertise on how businesses can use the law pro-actively to enhance their efficiency and profitability.

She said: ìDiscrimination is the fastest changing area of employment law and disability is one of the most complicated parts for employers to get right.î

Sherie is particularly keen to dispel the perception that the DDA is an enormous cost or threat to businesses.
She will elaborate on the proven commercial benefits for companies who promote employment opportunities for disabled employees.

Sherie said: ìEmploying people with a disability improves the potential to recruit the best people; improves staff morale; enhances the companyís profile and improves the bottom line.î