Back to Blog

Capping aspiration?

Here are few quotes for you: 'I want to give people the chance to fulfil their potential'. (Priti Patel, new Minister for Employment, 27 May 2015)'I truly believe we can make Britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone who is willing to work and do the right thing.'(Prime Minister, David Cameron, 8 May 2015).Conservative party manifesto 2015:'As part of our objective to achieve full employment, we will aim to halve the disability employment gap: we will transform policy, prac...

Getting elected? Listen to the community. Interview with Josef Baines

As the UK goes to the polling booths, I interview someone familiar with elections and building support for a campaign. Josef Baines is a successful deaf manager at Interactive in London. He was the first elected President of the Students' Union at Brunel University where he took two degrees. Josef is interested in political work in the future....

Everyday extraordinary interview: Heidi and Lee Robertson

Heidi and Lee Robertson got married in 2013. Both use sign language as their first language. Heidi was born in Finland and moved to the UK in 2009. She is a marketing expert specialising in social media. Lee, from Scotland, is a graduate in Aerospace Engineering Design and a qualified Psychological Well-being Practitioner....

Work to be done!

Who are the UK's super-workers and why are our employers missing out? ...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Joanne Ward

Joanne Ward works at a Centre for Independent Living. In our interview she told me about her work, studies, future plans and dreams....

Rights: getting them right

What does the word 'conference' make you think? Long days? Lectures? Feeling you really should ‘network’ with lots of people you don’t know? Me too. But Northampton County Council’s June conference to launch its new Charter of Rights was quite different. Read about why. As I walked in to the Northampton event, several people came up to say hello with big smiles on their faces. They were open and keen to tell us about themselves and their hopes for the future. There was the most positive ...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Shezad Nawab

Shezad Nawab is a young deaf British Asian entrepreneur who uses several sign languages. Based in Birmingham, he has started several businesses with national and international clients. In 2011 he won a Business Initiative Award and Young Entrepreneur award....

The day I became an Ambassador

A few years ago, I thought I may write the title above at the top of article about becoming the UK's first ever deaf Ambassador. I was headed in the right direction, having obtained a Deputy Ambassador's post and with several years' experience at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office behind me. The financial crisis and hardening attitudes to supporting disabled staff in government departments changed all that. (See the full story here). So rather than receiving the red-sealed parchment certificate...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Amanda Everitt

Deaf Law graduate, Amanda Everitt, is from New Zealand. She now divides her time between France and the UK. Amanda managed the UK’s first website for deaf young people and is a powerful advocate for the benefits of sign language for all....

A life less derelict?

The past few weeks have provided some reasons to be cheerful. I thought it was appropriate to share these in the run-up to Getting Equal's first birthday....

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Steph Cutler

Steph Cutler experienced unexpected sight loss in 2003. She found herself in demand to share her experiences and motivate others to achieve their goals and potential. This led Steph to set up Making Lemonade, a high-profile, award-winning business providing a wide range of training and development services broadly in the disability field. How did she do it? Read on....

What the PM did (not quite) say about disabled people in top jobs

JC: Prime Minister, could you tell us how you think the UK may be missing out by employing so few disabled people in top jobs? DC: My wife likes to say that if you don't have disabled people in the top places, you are not just missing out on 20 per cent of the talent, you are missing out on a lot more than 20 percent - and I think she probably has a point. JC: Indeed. Some would say that having people at the top who offer a new perspective and who represent the one in 5 customers who also have s...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Deepa Shastri

Deepa Shastri is one of the UK’s most dynamic young Deaf women, working to make the arts in the UK more accessible and to increase equality....

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Glen Williams

...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Anne Sylvester

Anne Sylvester is Senior Diversity Manager for a central government department and an experienced equality campaigner. She also works as a freelance consultant advising companies and individuals on all diversity and inclusion issues....

The arts: space to think

Over the summer I had the pleasure of joining some of the events organised by Liverpool’s Da Da Fest which formed their vibrant international festival celebrating the work and talents of deaf and disabled artists and performers. I could easily have spent half a day immersed in the Niet Normaal exhibition which pushed provocatively at the boundaries of what is ‘normal’. One of the exhibits I could not tear myself away from was by Ben Cove. See below....

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Joanne Fardella

Joanne Fardella is a solicitor. She recently started a new role at Joseph Frasier LLP solicitors, leading their department supporting D/deaf and hard of hearing clients. Joanne also lectures in law. One of her two children is deaf. Click for Joseph Frasier site...

Mentoring: turbo-power your learning

Mentoring lets you share ideas, solve problems and learn. I have been lucky to have had fantastic mentors. I have also learnt a lot from mentoring others. If you are interested in trying, this blog is for you. ...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Susanne Rees

Susanne Rees is Director of iDID Adventure, a social enterprise building resilience through independent adventure. iDID Adventure website ...

What I have been up to

Normally at my happiest with pen in hand (yes, a pen, with messy real ink – younger readers will be able to find a picture of this antique item on the internet). But writing a blog? That’s another story. Do we read blogs because other people’s lives are endlessly fascinating? Or is it because we are constantly in search of a life (and answers) which are better, apparently, than our own? ...

Everyday Extraordinary interview: Sir Bert Massie

Sir Bert Massie is one of the UK?s foremost disability rights leaders and activists. His influential career has included leading RADAR (the Royal Association for Disability Rights) as CEO and Chairing the Disability Rights Commission from 2000 to 2007. ...