Fiona

Fiona, senior trading optimisation manager at bp, shares a parent’s perspective on accessibility and early careers. Drawing on her experience as a working professional and a mother to a child with a severe disability, she reflects on why early career accessibility matters and what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a working professional and a mother to a child with a severe disability. Parenting my child has shaped not only my personal life, but how I think about inclusion, accessibility and opportunity, particularly for young people starting out in their careers.

How has being a parent to a disabled child influenced how you view accessibility at work?

It’s changed everything. When you support a child with complex needs, you quickly learn how many systems are not designed with difference in mind.

You become an advocate by necessity. That experience has made me far more aware of how easily talented people can be excluded, not because they lack ability but because environments lack flexibility.

At work, that means I think differently about how we design processes, how we communicate expectations and how safe people feel being open about what they need.

Why do you think accessibility is especially important in early careers?

Early careers is often where people decide whether they truly belong or whether they need to hide parts of themselves to succeed.

For students and graduates with disabilities, neurodiversity, long‑term health conditions or caring responsibilities, recruitment can feel daunting. Small things like rigid interviews, unclear information, assumptions about ‘normal’ can become major barriers. Getting accessibility right at this stage can be the difference between someone stepping forward with confidence or opting out entirely.

What does meaningful inclusion look like to you?

It starts with listening. Inclusion isn’t about having perfect answers – it’s about being open, curious, and willing to adapt. It’s asking, ‘What would help you succeed?’ rather than ‘Can you fit into this system?’

Meaningful inclusion is also about being collaborative. It involves early career teams, managers, accessibility networks and platforms like MyPlus working together to turn good intentions into real, practical support.

Why did you want to share your story through MyPlus?

Because visibility matters. When people see real stories – especially from parents, carers and advocates – I feel it sends a powerful message that accessibility is understood and valued, not just talked about.

I think about the world my daughter is growing up into, and I want her and others like her to see employers who recognise that different experiences build resilience, empathy and strength. Sharing my story is one small way of helping create that future.

What would you say to students or graduates navigating disability or caring responsibilities?

Your experience matters. It has already given you skills you may not even realise yet like problem‑solving, adaptability and perseverance.

The right employer will see accessibility not as a limitation, but as a way to unlock potential. You deserve a workplace where you can be honest, supported and valued from the very beginning of your career.