1 May 2015
In the first of our weekly round ups, Liz Dawes talks about meeting some of our mentees, hearing their stories, and reaching out to City employers. There is much to do……
City Disabilities’ aim is to make London a more human place for people with disabilities to work, and from the beginning it was clear that there is much to do.
Through our free mentoring service, we provide support and guidance on how to overcome the issues a disability might bring to studying or the workplace. We hope that, with this support, our mentees will be able to carry out their work just as any other employee is able to do.
When a mentee first contacts us, we arrange to meet with them face to face. It helps to sit down with people and get a real feeling for the work they do and the obstacles in their path. Often the people we meet are looking for guidance on how best to maintain a busy professional life while solving some practical issues that their disability brings.
Sometimes we hear stories from people who are frustrated at the level of ignorance, and sometimes prejudice, they have almost come to accept are part of their daily working lives: a wheelchair user who has been patted on the head; a student with dyslexia offered an examination scribe who does not speak English; a professional referred to in their workplace as “a bit mental”.
It’s hard to fathom how a person can show competence at work to the extent they are promoted to a managerial position, and yet they cannot grasp the most basic notions of common decency, much less inclusion. I heard one such story this week. The mixture of incompetence and prejudice was, even in comparison to what we hear, quite staggering.
It’s inevitable that the people who ask for help are likely to be those who’ve faced some of the toughest challenges. We are less likely to hear from those whose employers deal with disability in a practical and appropriate manner; they will encounter few difficulties with which they might seek outside assistance. Fortunately we hear these good stories too, and there is no doubt that many employers have taken substantial and meaningful steps to ensure they engage with their entire workforce, regardless of disability.
Alongside mentoring we also talk to employers about diversity and inclusion more generally. We hope we can develop best practice with them, and then share that knowledge more widely. We are regularly asked to attend talks, training events and seminars, and we see this as an important part of our work.
I met with two employers this week. The discussions we had were open, interesting and informative. Ideas around disclosure and dialogue were shared, as well as thoughts about how real power can be given to those responsible for diversity and inclusion policies. One of the employers offered practical help too, to some of our mentees, which is very gratefully received. If every employer meeting I had was that positive, we might just get somewhere.
I will share stories with you over the coming weeks of what we have been doing, and the progress that has been made. We will be discussing issues, championing success stories and joining up people across the City to share experience and knowledge of disability, so that the working lives of all can be improved.
If you want to get in touch with your own story or thoughts, my email is: info@citydisabilities.org.uk