The business analyst at the Post Office is also a member of the British Para Snowsport team. He competes in slalom (the one where you go round the sticks) and the giant slalom (where you race through gates). 

Perhaps it’s no wonder that business management graduate Alex now has the Winter Paralympics 2022 in his sights. He’s being taking on barriers since he was born. ‘I have paraplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP). It affects my legs predominantly but all my body in some way. I lack coordination, balance and strength. From a young age, I had to figure out how to do things. If I fell over, how would I get up? My dad is incredibly practical. He broke it down into micro steps and showed me how to work it out.’ Alex has been solving problems ever since: ’problem solving’ is the expression he uses to describe his job in the delivery of IT and business change projects.

It is indicative of the ‘massive impact’ that Alex’s father has had that when we asked Alex about his lived experience of disability, he talked more about his dad’s mental health than about his own CP. ‘He’s had depression and anxiety his whole life but as typical Yorkshireman only admitted it last year,’ says Alex. ‘In his sixties. After treatment he’s 100 times better. It was a relief that he’d finally accepted it. But I was also frustrated. He could have got so much more out of life. I said “you’ve always been my dad but now you are my dad”.’ Enabling people to be what they truly are is how Alex sees his role as chair of ‘Be You’, the Post Office’s 50-strong network of disabled staff.

‘I bring a different spin on networks. I want others to take ownership. My goal is that the group no longer need me. We’re not there yet. Everyone is really busy, so it’s hard for volunteers to put the time in.’ The solution? ‘I’m talking to Human Resources about including diversity and inclusion (D&I) objectives in our work programmes. If everybody had a D&I objective in the annual appraisal, they’d have permission to get involved and take on more.’ 

Alex goes on: ‘at General Executive (GE) level, we have fantastic support. The CEO has attended meetings and wants to hear what we have to say. We have two D&I days a year and there’s always at least one GE member present. At the last one, a group CEO and group HR director both came and talked frankly about personal situations.’

Be You’s board sponsor is the Group Communications, Brand and Corporate Affairs Director Mark Davies, formerly director of communications at mental health charity Rethink. ‘I give him a monthly report telling him what we’re up to and how he can help. For example, we had problems sharing stories. I didn’t want it to look amateur. I spoke to him and now we have dedicated person in comms who puts out stories for us. It gets the official corporate communications treatment and everyone sees it. 

‘We now need to give less senior staff permission and time to get more involved. There are people with disabilities who aren’t involved in the network. Out in branch and in the supply chain it can be different. People are more scared to share information. Yet at the D&I day, our Human Resources director shared information for the first time in his life. That needs to be understood for sharing to be more accepted across all strands across the business.

‘I have an obvious physical disability. I can wax lyrical about how it affects me. Sharing information never bothers me. I can tell a group of five to 500. I am disability-confident. But I know others don’t feel the same. It’s about being your real self at work. That’s where the name of the network - Be You - comes from. With each person who feels able to share and be themselves, the closer the business comes to being truly disability-confident.’

Alex’s motivation has changed since becoming chair, along with the network’s name. ‘We used to be called the Disability Confident group. I went along and after a couple of meetings got the opportunity to be chair. I like a challenge so said “yes”. But once I started, I realised that it angered me: the idea that people couldn’t be themselves. I wanted to help others to where I am in terms of disability confidence. I haven’t always been like this. There are steps you have to take. But disabled employees bring a different skills, a different perspective. Diversity, not just disability, makes teams stronger and better. And people who are truly themselves love coming to work.’

Alex has some tips to avoid the thin ice. ‘People often want permission, I’d rather just do it. I reckon it’s better to seek forgiveness than seek permission! For example, most staff don’t know about the Post Office’s mental health first aiders. So for Time To Talk day, we organised an event at Chesterfield to meet them. We just did it.’

Membership of PurpleSpace helps keep him upright too. ‘Being a network leader can be difficult at times. It’s great to share best practice. The social media webinar helped me understand that something regular, little and often, is more impactful than a big thing every now and then.’

Comparing being network chair to downhill skiing, Alex says he feels he’s just got over the initial ‘roll’ (bump) and now, the new year programme ahead, is approaching the ‘steep’, where you pick up speed. Will he stay on his feet? 

‘I’m reasonably confident,’ says Alex. And, even if he falls over, he’ll be right back up again. Thanks to his dad.

Listening to Alex talk about approaching his network role as he might a downhill ski race is exhilarating. He sees, just like a professional athlete, that you need support from the very top, the people who select the team. 

If there’s a business case for diversity and inclusion in a firm, and we all know there is, there’s a business case to embed it in an employee’s work programme. Why, given the firm is committed to these principles, keep asking permission to live them? We reckon that if you take Alex’s attitude that it’s better to seek forgiveness than permission, you won’t have to seek forgiveness often. After all, what is the goal? It is a shared one about empowering people to be their true selves at work: a goal that, to go back to the skiing analogy, merits brushing a few gates. 

Iowa, who has been at the company for 15 years, is chair of AIG’s UK disAbilities and Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG). It has some 85 members. ‘I have an invisible disability, Crohn’s Disease. I was diagnosed ten years ago but it was a late diagnosis and I needed emergency surgery.’ she recalls. ‘I was at AIG at the time and they reacted amazingly well. I had a phased return to work and the workplace adjustments that I needed but there was no ERG at that time. About three years ago, the firm launched a global diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiative to set up the ERGs. As soon as it went up on the intranet, I offered my services. I’d never seen anything like that and I was really keen to become involved, remembering what it had been like for me. Just recently I’ve had a returner to work reach out to me and it was bit like listening to myself ten years ago.’

Iowa, who has been chair for two years, reels off an impressive list of network achievements  - and they don’t just benefit members but all staff. It’s no surprise that the network AIG won the 2017 Impact Award at the Global Equality and Diversity Awards (www.gedconference.com) demonstrating how well the ERGs are embedded within the firm’s D&I strategy. ‘We have global policies and our systems are the same across the world. I get my business plan signed-off in the US. We’ve had excellent support from the top including the CEO and our executive sponsors who are really hands-on.’ 

For Iowa collaboration is vital. She describes her personal style as ‘half rebel, half collaborator’.‘I’ve always been different. It’s about being honest but also listening to other people. My disability has stopped me taking things for granted. I have to plan everything. It changes your way of thinking, making you more aware of how challenging the everyday things can be.’

‘We have great cooperation with AIG’s other ERGs, both in the UK, where there are six ERGs, and internationally, where there are over 100. We’re having a global summit in Nashville. Every ERG will be represented from across the world and I will be showcasing my group. Although there are over 100 ERGs, there are only a couple of other countries with a disability group so we want to help establish more. The New York office just reached out to me to try to reestablish their network. My message to them, as it would be to any network, is to work collaboratively with other groups. The disAbilities ERG crosses over with the working families and carers ERG, with LGBT, all of them, really. Pooling resources together you can do more.

We’ve done many joint events including one on LGBT mental health; another on bullying with working families and carers and are planning one on suicide in young black males with Shine - AIG’s multi-cultural ERG.’

Iowa offers some insight into why AIG is such a disability-confident company. ‘For me, there’s an expectation today that companies act ethically, which is important, but I don’t think AIG do it just for that reason. It’s not just about staffing, it’s good for customers and clients too. The ERG make suggestions regarding building accessibility and put forward policy coverage ideas. For example, we’ve asked: could the sort of medical equipment that someone with a long-term condition might need be covered on a single travel policy? Our building suggestions resulted in the introduction of  visible dots on our security barriers and new invisible condition signage on our accessible toilet facilities.’

Iowa cites many examples of good story telling, as a tool for change ‘we have had senior leaders on a panel around the table talking about their own experiences of mental health challenges. It had such an impact. Everybody in the audience then told their stories. People thought that if a senior manager could be honest about something like that then so could they. We then took this further by producing a three minute film This Is Me. It features staff, including senior leaders, talking about their own mental health. It’s now part of our induction programme so anyone who joins AIG always sees the film and what we are doing to end the stigma of mental health in the workplace.’

But you won’t strike the right chord if people are unaware of your network: Iowa recommends that you make a song and a dance about it. ‘The AIG has a pop-up choir, an idea created by the disAbilities ERG and the D&I team. I used to do musical theatre before I got Crohn’s so I sing enthusiastically. The choir started when we wanted to celebrate the launch of an app. We sang Celebration by Kool & the Gang. It went really well. Kool & the Gang even liked our Twitter post about it. So at Christmas, we sang festive songs in reception at the Fenchurch St office. There’s a large footfall. We signed part of the songs in British Sign Language (BSL) as well as singing them. We’re looking to do something in mental health awareness week in May  – singing is such a great way to raise the endorphins and feel better.’

The disAbilities ERG is also members of WharfAbility, a wider network which began in Canary Wharf for finance firms. ‘We invite each other to our events,’ says Iowa. ‘Now, through PurpleSpace, I’m hoping to share ideas with networks outside the financial sector. I’m always looking for something new…’ And that’s a tune we all like to hear.

Julie is currently chair of Workability, the disability network at professional services firm Deloitte LLP. An audit quality and risk manager, Julie and her department ensure that the firm’s audits are carried out in accord with the relevant financial regulations and to the highest quality. When she became chair of the Workability Network two years ago, the network was in transition having lost its inspirational senior champion John Binns, the former Deloitte partner who is now a mental health adviser. The network is now growing strongly and has more than 350 members.

‘Following John’s lead, the firm picked up the mental health agenda he’d highlighted and made some very positive moves forward. We’re fortunate to enjoy his continued support as a Mental Health Champion,’ says Julie. ‘But the wider disability network had lost its way a little.  Keen to rejuvenate the network I got involved, knowing I had the support of the firm. I focused on building relationships with existing members and welcoming new members – going out and meeting them to explain there were, and are, people in the firm who “get it.”

‘Our network wants to support not only people affected by physical disability, mental health challenges, chronic or acute conditions, but also those who are affected through someone else like a family member or partner. The objective is to help make it possible for us all to be our authentic, whole selves at work.’

Julie describes her communication style. ’We did a personality assessment in a training session and I came out pretty much 50-50 integrator and guardian. Integrators are collaborative, team players. Guardians are risk-aware, which is good given my day job, and nurturing, perhaps because I’m a mother of two. Basically I care about people and I think an inclusive environment is hugely important, that’s why I’m involved in the disability network.  I want to help.’

Julie says disabled colleagues often don’t know what support is available to them through the firm. They don’t always understand the processes they may need to go through to access that support, and they’re worried about confidentiality. She understands those barriers and wants to use the network to overcome them. There’s a great deal of support available, including through the firm’s employee assistance programme.

Julie’s rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed just six weeks after the birth of her second child nine years ago. ‘I’ve been here 17 years. I now know how agile working works and I’ve used the employee assistance programme with confidence. But it wasn’t always like that. After I had wrist surgery I was told by my consultant to be very careful; I was told to rest a month to protect the function of my dominant hand. But on my first contact back with the firm, human resources told me to see occupational health (OH) right away. I was really concerned that OH would have all sorts of plans for me, typing one handed or something. It wasn’t like that at all. They understood and I had the month off the consultant recommended, and then a three month phased return.

‘I had the sort of fears anyone might have: concern that once you share information it may be decided you can no longer do your job. This was particularly so for me because I’d developed the condition at work. I wasn’t disabled when I joined. I now know there’s lots you can take advantage of if you put your head above parapet and say I need to make a change.’ Don’t ask, don’t get.

For Julie, disability confidence is about giving individuals confidence. ‘The idea is to foster an environment in which there’s no need to hide things, in which you’re prepared to ask for workplace adjustments. 

‘Reluctance to share personal information is a major barrier to building disability confidence. Doing so is voluntary and we have had people in very difficult situations who’ve not said anything until disciplinary action was in the offing. I find this frustrating, given the excellent support and resources the firm have in place. But I understand why people might be wary of being judged as less able then colleagues and so don’t speak up.  Professional services firms are high pressure work environments. Many juniors are fresh from university. When you join you might not want to rock the boat or stand out by being different. I want our members to know that we celebrate difference at Deloitte.’

There is also a particular challenge posed by client site working. ‘A lot of our people go out to our clients’ offices, some of them switching several times a month. Or you may be in a role where you’re not working with the same manager for any length of time, so you’re less likely to build up relationships in which you’re happy to share personal information.’ 

Julie has found a possible solution to this challenge through her PurpleSpace networking. ‘Borrowing ideas for overcoming barriers is immensely helpful,’ she says. ‘The workplace adjustment process is more challenging if you’re not always using the same desk. At a networking event, the chair of another disability network told me about its passport scheme. If you have particular adjustments, you’re given a document that sets these out. You can then just share this passport with each new manager; there’s no need to go through it with every new person and explain yourself again. Our network has shared this idea with HR and I’m hopeful we’ll introduce something similar at Deloitte.’ If you don’t ask, you don’t get - but you shouldn’t have to keep asking.

Going for a coffee and offering a listening ear has helped me to grow the network and build the committee. This week I connected two people with a similar condition to share how they dealt with it and how they discussed it with their managers. We want to introduce a buddy scheme whereby, via a profile on the firm intranet, people can be available to talk to others who are in similar situation but perhaps not so far down the road. They can point people to sources of help and support both inside and outside of the firm.’

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel as a network lead, she says. ‘Our firm’s LGBT network, Globe, have introduced an ally programme. You can join if you think the cause is important (or you want to join without disclosing) and I think we could do something like that with the Workability network.

‘Sharing stories is really powerful. We have stories from our members on our intranet explaining what, for them, needs to be done differently at work. For example, a person with a hearing impairment who can’t take a phone call, a person who stammers who doesn’t want his sentences finished for him, a person with cancer who may, like me, need to take advantage of the agile working approach…’ In Julie’s case, she works two days a week in the office, one at home and uses flexible working to avoid commuter rush hours. 

‘Chairing the network has made me realise just how many issues there are out there. We surveyed our network’s membership and I was surprised how many people identified as having a chronic health condition. But perhaps that isn’t so surprising when you consider that the vast majority of people – over 80% – who are protected by disability discrimination legislation will develop their condition during their working life. There’s a lot of invisible illness out there. But, if asked, people will share their stories for the benefit of others.’ So Julie asks. Don’t ask, don’t get…

One thing we need to ask: how does Julie deal with a high-pressure job, being a mum, chairing a disability network, and managing rheumatoid arthritis? That takes a lot of energy. ‘It’s not that different a process from juggling the demands of childcare with work,’ she says. And this is where the spoons come in. Spoon theory is a way of explaining to the lay person how you manage the fluctuating energy levels you experience with a long-term health condition. Essentially: imagine your energy levels are a spoon drawer with a limited number of spoons. It takes one spoon to get up, another to get to work, four to do a day’s work. So how will you use the two spoons you’ve got left? If it takes one spoon to get home and one to put the kids to bed, there will be no spoons/energy left for a coffee with friends. Not so much time management as energy management. If you haven’t heard about spoon theory, look it up. (We’re spoonfeeding you insight here!) The link is at the end of this article.

‘A senior champion is very important and we have recruited two new partners at a senior level - we wanted two partners as it will spread the load.’ It uses fewer spoons? ‘Yes. On our committee we all share roles. I have a co-chair. 

‘When I joined the firm I thought I wanted to be the youngest ever female partner. But after having my children and getting my diagnosis, I reassessed what makes me happy. The network is certainly part of what makes me happy. I like to connect with like-minded people.

‘I didn’t wish to have a disability, but it has opened up opportunities. Perhaps it is sad it took a diagnosis like this to look at my life and decide what was important. But I say my rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t limit me, it helps me focus on what matters in my life.’

Reluctance to share personal information is a huge issue, especially in those sectors where there is a particularly intense work culture. 

‘I think my parents would say I was a nightmare child,’ says Tulsi, who is a project delivery manager in Nationwide’s transformation division.  ‘I was always asking questions, always asking why things were the way they were. It’s important because it helps you understand what’s not right. And change doesn’t happen if everyone stays silent.’

Does that sound like a good quality in a network chair? ‘You need to be a bit of a rebel to be a network chair,’ Tulsi continues. ‘You have to put your head above parapet and speak about the uncomfortable truths that others won’t question or challenge.’

Tulsi, who graduated in Geography from UCL, joined Nationwide three years ago on its graduate scheme.  ‘I liked the breadth and flexibility of the graduate scheme as it allowed me to do placements around the organisation. It also allowed me time to engage with the Diversity & Inclusion agenda. I specialised in understanding how people form and embrace different identities as part of my degree.’

She describes her current role as her first ‘adult’ job but she has still found the time and energy to steer a network of about 375 members. Although she had some mental health challenges herself as a student – something she didn’t recognise at the time – her understanding of disability comes as much from living with disabled relatives as a child and asking all those awkward questions.

‘I had anxiety and depression as a student but only realised looking back. The younger generation may be more aware of mental health issues but it’s still something people don’t really talk about. The real numbers of people with mental illnesses are far higher than the statistics tell you. Until we address the stigma, people will find it difficult to ask for help. The pressure of social media to be always available and online creates a ‘can’t relax’ environment. Every part of your life can be scrutinised.

‘My uncle had multiple sclerosis and growing up we cared for him. My dad built our house with wide door frames, a wet room downstairs. I couldn’t understand why all houses weren’t built like that in the first place. It didn’t make sense that it was so difficult.’

She has applied that questioning approach to her network chair role. ‘We’ve had a network for about four years,’ she says, ‘but it was over-reliant on a couple of people. I wanted to make it more established, with the right senior people involved. I wanted to show how the network fits into the wider Diversity & Inclusion strategy.

‘The executive board were very supportive but had been unaware of the blockers we had - particularly that, as volunteers, we struggled for time, support and recognition for the work we do. The conversation has helped them realise that the network has potential to do great things. In last few months I’ve put together the business case and terms of reference for the network.

‘It can be hard to build disability confidence if it’s not clear who is accountable for it. Who is responsible for saying “what we’re doing isn’t OK. It isn’t enough, we need to do better than just the legal minimum”? It’s everyone’s responsibility to call that out. Here at Nationwide, we’ve improved the time to get an adjustment from 20 weeks to four.’

For Tulsi, disability confidence is about the confidence, on both sides, to have the conversation. ‘It’s the confidence to say: “This is my disability. This is what I need.” And it’s the confidence, in a manager or organisation, not to be afraid of saying the wrong thing, to ask individuals what they want and need, and then deal with those adaptations without fear.’

The best way to do this is to start the conversation. ‘Share stories. Make it OK to talk about disability. Bring it to life. Everyone has stories to share, and the more real and open they are, the better. It’s not just for network members or senior people. Everyone can do it.

‘In our risk team we have a high number of people who are excellent at analysing data and on the autistic spectrum. Some, but not all, join our network. We’ve started encouraging them to come forward with their stories with the result that our peer-to-peer support group for autistic employees has been oversubscribed.

‘It’s vital to understand that all disabled people are different. There can be a tendency to say “you’re dyslexic so you need XYZ”. To put people in a box and treat them all the same.’

Being put in a box is something Tulsi knows a bit about. ‘I’m a keen footballer and growing up I came up a lot against “Indian girls don’t play football” and I didn’t understand why. I was as good as, if not better than, the boys I was playing with. So I set up football club at my school and I still play today. I’m keen to help people help themselves.’ (Tulsi still plays football now.)

She identifies ‘the lack of understanding of the breadth of disability – that two people with same impairment can have very different needs’ as a barrier to progress. ‘This exacerbates the fear of saying the wrong thing. Which social media amplifies. People are afraid that one comment could go viral or go up the chain and be taken out of context.’ Like rabbits in headlights they become ‘unable to see past the label and the individual becomes defined by their disability with the focus on the practical aspects – such as extra costs and complex processes – rather than focusing on the benefits of diversity and the skills that individual brings.’

Tulsi says she has learned a lot from the other seven employee networks at Nationwide. ‘The veterans and reservists (V&R) network are obviously different from us but I saw they had very clear objectives around what they did. They also had a clear line between where the Network’s remit stopped and human resources started. I could see from V&R that focusing on small areas you could deliver more change more quickly.

She emphasises too the role a good business champion can play here. ‘A network’s potential is limited if the organisation doesn’t see how it benefits the organisation and fits into the wider strategy. Business champions can do this: championing the cause to their peers and opening doors for the network. It’s important that sponsors are effective sponsors. You don’t want sponsors in name only. You need to tell them what the network needs from them. Our Exec Sponsor and Exec Champions have clear roles and responsibilities, and we understand how to help each other drive the agenda forward. 

She talks about the benefits of reciprocal mentoring. ‘People are curious about difference. Pairing up someone senior with someone with an impairment opens senior managers’ eyes. We’re just starting this. A lot of managers have come forward at all levels of the organisation. The plan is for a year long relationship.’

Tulsi’s advice to organisations is ‘don’t make assumptions. 

‘Listen to people with disabilities. They are experts in their own disabilities and will tell you what they need, and they’re often things you’ve never thought of. This will make you a better organisation. It’s like having a team of consultants or subject-matter experts in house.’

Bringing this approach to the people she has met through PurpleSpace has helped her enormously. ‘I’m learning so much about disability,’ she says. ‘I’m not an expert and don’t profess to be. My role in the network is prompting me to think about the way I think, act, speak and treat others. There aren’t many people from minority ethnic backgrounds involved with disability networks. I’m Indian so hope I can add racial diversity to the growth of the disability networks. Stigma around disability is always there but think it can be particularly strong in some black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. I have plans to work with our BAME network to have joint events and start conversations, especially around mental health.’

Tulsi concludes: ‘PurpleSpace is helping me become a better network leader, learning from those with more experience. As a chair it can be lonely, trying to pull your committee forward and your organisation. PurpleSpace can keep you inspired and motivated. I’ve contact with more mature networks which has helped me to tweak what we do around, for example, setting up a committee, types of events, working with senior stakeholders, challenging your organisation.…’ All sorts of new questions.

To mark IDPD 2017 PurpleSpace has called on UK and global disabled employee networks & Disability Confident employers, together with champions and allies to create a #PurpleLightUp to celebrate the economic and leadership contribution of disabled employees.  Buildings are being lit up purple, staff will be wearing purple clothes and company Twitter accounts will be changed purple for the day.

 “We want to spotlight the existing economic contribution of disabled employees – and inspire hope and affirmation to the millions who are looking for work.” Kate Nash OBE, Creator & CEO PurpleSpace

Organisations taking part, in a variety of ways, include: Barclays, BP, Cardiff Council, Channel 4, Civil Service, Delsion, DVLA, E.ON, EY, Fujitsu, GCHQ, Gowling, ITV, KPMG, Lloyds Insurance, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, National Assembly for Wales, Shaw Trust, University of Bradford, Wales Millennium Centre.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Kate Nash OBE: Email kate@purplespace.org Mobile 07904 018 939

Vanessa Hardy: Email vanessa@purplespace.org Mobile 07889 776620

In Australia in 2001, this recent Business Studies graduate had a road traffic accident in which he lost a leg and the sight in one eye and acquired a facial disfigurement. When, after two years of operations and rehab, he was looking for a job, Andy chose a human resources (HR) role at energy company Shell because of the good recruitment experience. ‘I was using a wheelchair at the time and it didn’t seem to be an issue.’

He’s now been at Shell for 15 years and was one of the founders of the organisation’s enABLE disability network in 2005. ‘We wanted to create a platform where people could come together, a safe haven to talk about challenges and how to overcome them. But it has developed into a lot more than that.’

Shell’s existing employee networks were a particular inspiration. ‘I saw how successful the women’s network was and I thought why can’t we build on that? Shell were talking a lot about diversity and inclusion (D&I) and I wanted to ensure that included disability.’ There are now nine national enABLE networks, covering Europe, Americas and Asia, within Shell with some 2-2,500 members.

‘I see myself as an agent for change and an influencer. My own experience of disability plus the fact I work for HR enables me to put the two together to lobby and influence and to get support and leader commitment. I don’t like these words but I try to be a thought leader in this space: to have ideas and be willing to try things.’

Andy considers the network’s Be Yourself campaign to have been a ‘breakthrough moment’. The campaign consisted of video interviews with 20 Shell employees with different impairments in different parts of the world. ‘The stories focused on the benefits of disclosing and how by being your authentic and true self, life and work becomes easier.’ So far about 30,000 people - a third of Shell’s global workforce - have seen the videos and, Andy stresses, ‘many people have self-disclosed as a result. Storytelling normalises the subject and is an incentive for others to talk’.

Again, a sister network was an inspiration. ‘We got the idea for Be Yourself from the It Gets Better campaign about gay people coming out. I think we can learn a lot from the LGBT community and their sense of pride.’

One of the Be Yourself videos featuring a senior leader was particularly effective. ‘I think good senior sponsors are key to growth,’ says Andy. ‘We try to have two senior sponsors for each network. They can influence their peers and ensure senior support. They can also be great mentors and coaches to, for example, the network steering committee and can ensure that the disability network is part of the D&I agenda and broader business strategy.

‘In the UK, we try to have the country chair as a sponsor and one of the business vice-presidents. If a senior leader has an impairment we will approach them. We’ve had one with dyslexia, another with a hearing impairment. Even if there is nobody with lived experience, there will be leaders who have a connection with disability through their family. If a senior staffer can disclose and demonstrate that they’ve reached a senior level, imagine how much confidence it will give more junior staff.’

Andy highlights lack of role models as one of the barriers that can get in the way of developing a disability network. ‘When there is a lack of role models, disability myths can persist: disabled people cost more, they will take more days off sick, that sort of thing. But often it’s an even simpler thing that holds people back: the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing. It’s important to lose that fear and just get started. Of course, there are many different types of disability and many individual approaches to dealing with it. A lack of standard response can make it more difficult but we need confidence on both sides to start the conversation.’

Andy sees disability confidence from two perspectives. ‘For a disabled person, it is about being confident with who you are and with bringing your true self to work. For the employer, the key word is care, that you’re welcoming to all and sincere in wanting to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. It’s important that employers understand the business case and see the genuine benefits in diversity of thought. I’ve never met a line manager who doesn't want a good problem solver on the team and disabled people with their different perspectives are great problem solvers.’

Of course line mangers may not know they have a great problem solver on their team if disabled people don’t disclose. ‘We need to move away from traditional thinking around disability. I like to talk about the opportunity of adversity. Acquiring a disability is an unplanned event. But it can open doors to a lot of opportunities to do things you otherwise wouldn’t have done.’

A concern for new networks is that they don’t have enough budget to make a difference. Andy says that even in a large, committed organisation like Shell, budget is not everything. ‘Nearly everything we’ve done has been low cost. Lots of things you do with technology cost nothing. The smart phone is a Godsend. You can share simple, rough videos. Websites, story telling, awareness events, mentoring - they cost nothing. And for some events you can get business sponsorship anyway.

‘Think about the skills disabled people have that can help teams. Whenever we put disability articles on the website, we make the story person-based. It’s inspiring for people to read because they are real-life, authentic stories.’

But how can a network help staff with the really practical, everyday stuff around living with an impairment? Andy talks about Shell’s Accessibility Project, another pioneering initiative which he is involved in supporting. 

‘Getting an adjustment is complicated. This project will streamline the process so wherever you work in the world for Shell, you go on a website a bit like Amazon, click on what you need and it goes through to one dedicated team. There will be a central budget so you won’t have to approach a line manager to fund your need.’ Andy hopes the one-stop shop will significantly reduce the number of interactions to get an adjustment and incentivise people to seek the workplace accessibility support they require. ‘Shell is a pioneer with this approach. It’s a game changer. We’re rolling it out region by region over the next six months and because procurement is handled on a global basis, our staff will get a similar service everywhere.’

It’s the ability to share this sort of good practice that makes PurpleSpace appealing to Andy. ‘PurpleSpace satisfies my curiosity about what others are doing. It’s a great platform for sharing and I like the idea of combined events too.’ 

“Firstly, a little about me – I lost most of my useful vision as a teenager, became diabetic in my 20’s and have just come back to work after major spinal surgery in my 30’s. Needless to say, I have first-hand experience of several impairments and have learned a lot from many more Reach network colleagues with a disability story to tell. I’ve had a varied career at Barclays over the past 14 years, working as a visually impaired accountant, risk hedger and for the past 5 years leading our Digital Accessibility agenda.

 

When most people hear the word “disability”, they think of a faulty body or mind. I think back to my 8-year old self sitting in the doctor’s room and being told “you have a rare eye condition and will lose most, if not all of your vision”. I remember this moment as if it were yesterday. As these words sunk in, what filled me with panic wasn’t the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see again but rather I wouldn’t be able to ‘fit in’ again – with my school friends. I went about either denying or defying the facts for many years whilst I came to terms with this reality and whilst choosing to ignore this part of my identity. I think of this time in my life as the “coping with a disability” chapter since it was full of having to adapt and find different ways to do the same old things. For me that included using powerful magnifying glasses and binoculars to read large print textbooks or make out teacher’s scribble on blackboards. Most importantly though it meant grafting – instilling in me a gritty determination to work doubly hard to figure out and follow through on “another way” to do daily trivial tasks. Popping your finger into the top of a mug when pouring a kettle to make a cup of tea for instance avoids over-pouring and spill-over. Regardless of how the Queen says tea should be made, putting the milk in first means you won’t scold your finger as you’re filling up the mug with boiling water. I dare you to try making your next cup of tea or coffee with your eyes shut to gain a glimpse into my world! Of course, with the marvels of technology and innovation, there’s even buzzers that blind people can buy and perch on the lip of their mug nowadays to guard against 2nd degree burns as they’re pouring their hot drinks.

As my sight worsened as a teenager, my memory, creativity and determination all improved to compensate for and adapt to living in a visual world as a non-visual person. This “living with a disability” stage of my life brought self-confidence, a positive outlook and a belief that my one disability of sight loss had led to me developing many more skills, forged out of necessity to survive. It’d often be me who’d find the family car when lost in large multi-storey car parks or know what direction we’d come from when traipsing around unfamiliar cities on holiday.  It’s ironic that visually impaired people can often better pay attention to their surroundings or better listen to what’s being said by others even without the benefit of seeing body language. One of the most important things I learned was how to assertively ask for help from others. When it took me longer to copy down a sentence from the black-board at school, I found help through my sighted classmates or teachers, helping them to help me. 

I’m startled when I hear the statistics that 1 in 5 people have a disability and that of these, 83% of them acquired their disability in their adult working life. People with newly acquired disabilities usually respond in three ways when coming to terms with the news. They either let the bad news and hopelessness eat them up, they either deny the facts or they ‘own it’ – i.e. they gain a sense of empathy and compassion for themselves and others similarly impacted. My advice is to lean in and embrace this new, unique part of themselves, in time owning their disability identity. Barclays Reach network’s This Is Me campaign on disability and mental health provides a platform to do exactly this through colleagues telling their own personal stories of difference. 

Only by normalising the conversation around disability can we reduce discrimination, prejudice, injustice and poverty. This may sound heavy but within the UK at present, 81% of UK adults are in employment compared to 49% of disabled adults. That’s a disability employment gap of ~3million potential workers who are desperate for meaningful employment and bring unique perspectives, skills and experiences to the party. Whilst society’s attitudes to disability are warmer nowadays due to the positive impact of the Paralympic games and increased media coverage, the employment rates of disabled people have is now leading the way through our partnership with the Government’s DWP Disability Confident campaign and our dedicated early careers hiring programmes which promote disabled talent. 

We have made huge leaps in Barclays, but there’s a huge task ahead to take these messages on disability and spread them throughout our lives and across our world.  Only then can we remove barriers, improve lives and unlock human potential.”  

"Last year the Government announced an ambitious programme to halve the disability employment gap and shortly afterwards launched a Green Paper to solicit insights from businesses, charities and individuals on how best to achieve this. There’s been no formal output from the Paper, but there is a sense that the challenge ahead is huge.

While workplace adjustments certainly play a huge role in enabling people with disabilities to get back to work, for too long – in my view – they’ve been focused on people with physical and visible disabilities, leaving people with non-visible disabilities, such as mental health issues, autism and cognitive disabilities, with little or no real support. I believe the biggest challenge the Government faces isn’t getting people back to work, it’s ensuring that workplaces can support people with non-visible disabilities, as without this, they’ll never reach their targets.

It’s a topic that resonates with me and one I’ll be writing about in the Talking Purple column in future issues. In my day job as a Digital Accessibility Manager, a campaigner for mental health issues, and a line manager of a colleague with mental health issues, I’ve been disappointed in the lack of support and tools available to assist people in the workplace with non-visible and more complex disabilities. It’s what’s prompted my interest in how new technology and companies entering the assistive technology industry, are shaking things up and forcing everyone to think differently.

You may have noticed that virtual reality (VR) has become an increasingly hot topic in the news, with some of the world’s largest technology companies heavily investing in developing the technology, and the cost of consumer versions of the technology becoming cheaper and more accessible. What you might not have been aware of, is that there is increasing research and evidence that this technology could have the potential to fundamentally change how we support people with certain non-visible disabilities.

For example, research is showing that people with anxiety conditions can be supported in managing their anxiety by using VR to experience situations which cause them anxiety and that they can be supported in a safe environment to overcome or reduce their anxiety and develop coping strategies to support themselves outside the virtual environment . (1)The University of Oxford, which completed a meta-study of over 1,000 studies about mental health and VR, concluded that there is potential for VR to provide a step change in how people with mental health issues are supported.

It’s also possible to look at conditions like PTSD or eating disorders and see the potential opportunity that VR presents to support these individuals back into the workplace.

For people with PTSD, VR offers a real opportunity to have exposure to settings and situations which cause a flashback or trigger a memory of a traumatic experience.

While there’s less research into the use of VR to support people with autism, it nevertheless shows real potential. In 2014, Autism Speaks, a leading autism charity in the US, published an article demonstrating how virtual environments can provide opportunities for people with autism to develop social skills and brain activity through the use of safe and monitored environments. (2) The positive research shows that the future potential is there for VR to be used to help people with autism to practise situations in order to reduce anxiety and build understanding of how to deal with real-life situations.

Statistics show that 81 per cent of UK adults now own a smartphone. (3)This amazing level of penetration has provided a real opportunity to support people with non-visible disabilities to get back into the workplace, including those with mental health , through applications such as brain training. The pace of change within technology is phenomenal and while we’re not quite living in the space age imagined by 1950s cartoonists and Tomorrow’s World, we are getting close to realising the benefit of technologies like VR and robotics. With this pace of change, it’s easy to get left behind and it’s particularly easy for governments and those recommending assistive technology or adjustments to overlook the potential of future technology. With ambitions to reduce the employment gap looking difficult to achieve, it may not be long before everyone starts to pay more attention to what the future of assistive technology for people with non-visible disabilities will be and to take a more active role in helping them back into the workplace."

1 Freeman D, Reeve S, Robinson A, Ehlers A, Clark D, Spanlang B. Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders. Psychological Medicine 2017; 47(14): 2393–2400.

2 Yang Y, Allen T, Abdullahi S, Pelphrey K, Volkmar F, Chapman S. Brain responses to biological motion predict treatment outcome in young adults with autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: preliminary findings. Behaviour Research and Therapy 2017; 93: 55–66.

3 Deloitte LLP. There’s no place like phone. Consumer usage patterns in the era of peak smartphone. [Online.] https://www.deloitte.co.uk/mobileuk/assets/pdf/Deloitte-Mobile-Consumer-2016-There-is-no-place-like-... (accessed 10 August 2017).

My experience in Diversity & Inclusion has been varied; for example, I led on our gender and sexual orientation strategy; I “invented” the Passport that many disability networks and organisations are familiar with; I created an anti-bullying campaign; created three 'Unconscious Bia's training online modules.  But the one thing I am most proud of during this time was being the lead for BT’s seven People Networks.  Amongst other things, I created the current governance structure and election process; grew the BT family of people networks from four to seven; I’ve overseen the networks evolve to cope with less money, fewer opportunities to meet face to face, while making better use of technology.  And all the while celebrating the amazing people who take time out of their busy day jobs as network chairs or committee members.

So, when PurpleSpace CEO Kate Nash OBE asked me to join PurpleSpace as a consultant, I leapt at the opportunity.  Not only – as you all know – is Kate amazing and I’ve always wanted to work with her - but I also love the energy, enthusiasm and passion generated by the PurpleSpace community.

My focus for the next few months will be reviewing the PurpleSpace member resources.  I will be doing a mini-audit – finding out what’s there, where the gaps are, what needs a refresh and putting together a programme of new content to deliver over the next few months.  And of course, promoting all the great material that’s already there.  Please get in touch and let me know if there’s anything you particularly think I should be focusing on.

I’m hoping to connect with as many of you as possible over the coming months either at PurpleSpace events or online.  I’ll be the one grinning from ear to ear, because I’ve got the best job ever!!

You can get in touch with Sally by email at sally@purplespace.org.