As a founding member of the Valuable 500, Inclusive Places and Spaces, and the Business Disability Forum, British Land is demonstrating its commitment to accessibility by implementing the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar across 34 of its domains. This supports British Land’s participation in the Valuable 500’s mission to end disability exclusion in business.
British Land’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
As one of the UK’s leading property companies, managing some of the country’s most popular retail destinations, British Land is dedicated to fostering inclusivity both within its organisation and across the communities it serves.
In 2019, British Land launched enaBLe, an internal network designed to support disability inclusion. The network offers training on hidden disabilities, promotes awareness, and provides practical initiatives such as a tech buddy programme that ensures employees have the right equipment to meet their accessibility needs.
With over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with a disability (WHO), British Land recognises that creating accessible spaces, both physical and digital, is not just the right thing to do; it’s essential for business success and community wellbeing.
“Diversity and inclusion are central to driving innovation, understanding our customers and ultimately the success of our business. We work very hard to ensure that British Land is an organisation where people feel free to bring their whole selves to work.”
Mia Gordon and Karen Neal, Co-Chairs of the enaBLe Network at British Land
Embedding Inclusion Into Their Digital Spaces
To extend their commitment to inclusion beyond physical spaces, British Land started working with Recite Me in 2021 to integrate the assistive tools across 34 of its websites, including high-profile retail parks such as Meadowhall, Drake Circus and Ealing Broadway.
The toolbar offers a wide range of features to support visitors with diverse needs, including:
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Translation into over 100 languages
- Customisable font, size, and colour settings
- Screen masking and reading aids
These tools remove barriers for visitors with visual impairments, learning difficulties, cognitive challenges, and for those who speak English as a second language, making every interaction more accessible and inclusive.
Over the past 12 months, the Recite Me Toolbar has been used by over 6,500 users across British Land’s websites, viewing more than 22,800 pages with enhanced accessibility support.
Why Digital Accessibility is Important to Valuable 500 Members
For members of the Valuable 500, like British Land, inclusion is not a checkbox, it’s a core driver of innovation, sustainability, and business growth. In today’s digital-first world, ensuring online accessibility is just as important as providing accessible physical spaces.
A significant portion of the global population relies on accessible digital tools to engage fully with businesses. Without digital accessibility, organisations risk excluding customers, clients, job seekers, and partners with disabilities, limiting their own potential for growth, diversity, and innovation.
Digital accessibility aligns directly with the Valuable 500’s commitment to ending disability exclusion in business leadership. By adopting tools like the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar, you can foster greater brand loyalty and social impact, but also drive commercial success by opening doors to a wider, more diverse audience.
Recite Me is already being used by leading Valuable 500 organisations such as:
If you are a Valuable 500 member, now is the time to follow the lead of others. Let’s work together to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, has equal access to information, services, and opportunities. Schedule a demo with a member of our team today.
Get a free automated accessibility check of your websites homepage. This will identify and highlight any compliance issues on your website. Followed by recommendations on how to implement the necessary changes to make your website more accessible.
