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I am the Global Chair of B.able, our ERG empowering colleagues with diverse physical and neurological needs to be understood and thrive in an environment that feels comfortable and fair to everyone. Together with our marvelous Steering Committee, we partner with the business and our colleagues to help remove barriers and create awareness on areas like accessibility, neurodiversity and invisible conditions. 

Being part of B.able has been an amazing journey, both rewarding and humbling. It has changed the way I perceive the world as I realised it was really not designed for everyone. Some people see, hear, think, move, and experience situations differently and the amount of barriers they need to overcome daily is just staggering. It has really made me aware of my privilege and how every action or ally joining our group makes a difference in fostering an inclusive environment for everyone, however they experience the workplace, or the world. 

It’s really hard to pinpoint one favorite out of so many things B.able has done. I am going to say that every message received where a colleague feels seen, heard or understood – sometimes for the first time in their professional life – are some of the best memories we build in our ERG. 

Being a part of B.able has shown me how inclusion needs to be a deliberate act of granting value to everyone and making every voice heard regardless of those differences. Equity is then the only acceptable result of our efforts: treating everyone with fairness and justice, whereas taking into consideration unique barriers or disadvantages. 

Creating an environment that feels comfortable and fair to everyone is a never ending goal. There is always something else you can do for our communities. Booking.com acknowledging this and supporting us in improving our environment is probably the most important thing I can highlight. A good example is the collaboration with our Real Estate teams in improving our Amsterdam HQ accessibility and usability and we are now looking to extend this to our other offices around the world. 

To learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at Booking.com, click here.