Introducing the Inclusion Passport

Store Manager Lisa Deason explains how Co-op's inclusion passport is helping her get the support she needs to thrive at work.

At Co‑op, we’re committed to building a workplace where everyone feels safe, valued and supported - like they truly belong.

That’s why we’ve introduced our Inclusion Passport - a simple way to make sure every colleague can get the support they need to thrive at work.

For Lisa Deason, Store Manager at Kempston Co-op, it’s already making a real difference. Lisa lives with dyslexia and functional neurological disorder (FND) - two very different conditions that affect how she works day to day.

“I’m dyslexic, but for me it’s more about processing information,” she explains. “That wasn’t always well understood. People were supportive, but they didn’t always really know how to help.”

A few years ago, things changed again when Lisa lost her ability to walk and was later diagnosed with FND.

“I can walk now, but only short distances. I get twitches, and sometimes when I’m speaking I’ll say a different word to the one I’m thinking. It can be frustrating.”

Lisa describes the support from her team as “brilliant” but, like many colleagues, navigating formal processes for adjustments hasn’t always been easy.

“When I first came back, we didn’t really know where to start. We were figuring things out as we went. Even something simple could take time because we didn’t know the process.”

That’s where the Inclusion Passport has helped.

“The biggest thing is I don’t have to repeat myself. If you change manager, you don’t have to explain everything all over again. It’s all there, in one place.”

The Inclusion Passport is a live, digital record of workplace adjustments, agreed between a colleague and their manager.

It’s designed to make things simpler by:

• keeping all a colleague's support needs in one place

• moving with the colleague if they change roles, locations or managers

• reducing the need to repeat or explain their circumstances

While it can be particularly helpful for colleagues with disabilities or health conditions, it’s there for anyone who needs adjustments to work more effectively, making support part of everyday work.

For Lisa, some of those adjustments include:

• using speakers so she can listen to information as well as read it

• flexibility to take additional breaks if needed

• receiving key actions from meetings by email

• exploring in-store adaptations to support accessibility

“They might seem small,” she says, “but they make a big difference to how I work every day.”

We know everyone’s experience of work is different. Around 1 in 5 of our colleagues identify as having a disability, and we know those colleagues are more likely to leave our Co‑op. We want to change that.

The Inclusion Passport helps us:

• make support simpler and more consistent

• create healthier, more sustainable ways of working

• build a stronger sense of belonging across Co‑op

Ultimately, it’s about making sure everyone can be at their best and, as a manager, Lisa also sees the impact from the other side.

“It gives you somewhere to go and helps guide the conversation,” she says. “It prompts you to check in and gives you confidence you’re supporting people in the right way.”