Disability

Naidex 45 Review: Talks and Panels

3rd April 2019 /
Welcome back! This is the second blog post about my Naidex experience, the first one can be found here if you are yet to read it! I throughly enjoyed my time there and thought it would be useful to type up all of the talks I went to. I hope this captures what the speakers said and means people who were there will still benefit from the messages they gave.


It was far too difficult to choose which pictures to include in this post because of how many people I had the pleasure of meeting. So, please enjoy this video of various aspects of my two days at Naidex. This includes clips from the seminars and panels I had the pleasure of listening to.

Talks and panels

I can only comment on the talks I managed to see, and to be honest I had anticipated on seeing more. I had a list of all the ones I knew I’d find interesting but the networking and seeing friends appeared to take up most of my time! I was really happy with the ones I did attend and found them all incredibly informative, even if that was just the notion of not being alone.

Employment Panel

This panel was the first talk I attended. It comprised of Tom Jamison (Editor of Able Magazine), Guy Chaudoir (Employment Team Manager at Scope), Micheal Vermeersch (Digital Inclusion Lead at Microsoft) and a representative from Crossbow Education. The panel was led by Martyn Sibley who I had the pleasure of meeting before the panel had started. As someone who has only briefly stepped into the world of employment, but know it is just around the corner, I knew it would be a panel debate that interested me.

Crossbow Education stated now having solutions to problems in the workplace can be so important. They spoke heavily around visual stress and strategies which can be implemented to reduce this. As someone who can struggle with this, it’s something I will research in the future. Various comments were made around reasonable adjustment, with clarification needed around what that actually meant. It has become clear that different employers will have a different interpretation around what is ‘reasonable’. However, adjustments were not always expensive said Crossbow Education, with attitudes being the biggest thing.

Guy went on to say “people might think they will never get it right, so therefore don’t engage at all” and a lot of the audience agreed with this comment. Tom followed this by saying the more companies who employ disabled people, the more they will get it, with this being down to the inclusive mindset that is needed. Guy also went on to discuss that working from home and flexible hours will be the new norm in years to come. This way of working will benefit a lot of people, not only those with a disability. I guess this is reassuring to hear and would open employment up to a lot of people who couldn’t sustain the standard 9-5 Monday to Friday.

Finally, Micheal said “Microsoft want disabled people to be able to use the same technology that everyone else is” with many accessiblity features being built into the core of their products. The next stages of this was artificial intelligence, which would only be taking things that are already implemented into smartphones. The panel ended on the idea that it is a cultural change that is needed to employ disabled people.

Our story of Disability Inclusion

This talk was given by Micheal Vermeersch who is the Digital Inclusion Lead at Microsoft. His PowerPoint slides has live closed captions which instantly showed the capabilities of Microsoft software and how little changes could make the talk easily accessible to more people.

He again stated that Microsoft are all about creating products that everyone can use, how certain hacks will help everyone and attract more customers in general. It is possible to tell PowerPoint ‘make the slides look pretty’ with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Not only would this help a visually impaired person to create engaging slides, but also save people a lot of time when creating a presentation. For those who didn’t know, the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk is where disabled people can get support around product issues, accessibility questions and use of assistive technology in relation to all Microsoft products!

When looking at employment, Micheal said “it’s the screening process that needs to be different“. Many people may have gaps in their CV because of a disability, regardless of their skills. By getting people to work within the setting, rather than taking a CV at face value it would ensure disabled people are hired on their skills and talent rather than employment history.

When raising the profile of disability within the workplace, Micheal made it clear that it was about training the team and not the person. Through disability etiquette training the whole team would become more understanding and it would become the norm to have disabled people within the workplace. Yet, it was noted that you don’t want a quota of disabled people because that also gives off a bad impression and can lead to hiring because of a disability, which can be problematic.

Micheal ended the talk by saying “ignoring disabled people is like saying 1 in 5 people, we don’t want your business”, this appeared to resonate with a lot of the audience.

Mindset and Habits That Change the World

This talk was given by Martyn Sibley. When trying to encompass what Martyn does for the world of disability (and the world for that matter) I thought it might be best just to go with his own bio: “World Changing Blogger, Author, Coach, Speaker & Podcaster. Captain of Inclusion at DHorizons. Government, Business & Charity Adviser. Adventurer. Smiler!”.

Martyn started his talk by saying it is “all about having that social impact“. He spoke about the transitions he had gone through, how going to university meant a change in his independence with the help of Personal Assistants. He admitted that having PA was a big change from having his parents manage his care and that it took time to adjust to. Martyn shared his top tips for a healthy mindset and how he has achieved so many great things!

Patience: It is very easy to be running around all the time and rushing through life trying to get everything done, but what does this actually achieve? Martyn commented numerous times that not always rushing can be the best. Taking life as it comes and taking a moment to be patient with yourself and others.

Empathy and compassion: This can be equally as important, with Martyn saying ” I was scared, but my PA’s were learning how to care”. The adjustment of having PA’s can be a daunting one, yet Martyn realised he was not the only one who may be worried by this. Empathy and compassion of others enabled him to see the situation more clearly. By being compassionate towards the fact his PA’s were also learning and adjusting to a new role, it enabled him to move forward and be less anxious himself.

Juggling: Instantly Martyn says “I’d love to be spontaneous“, and I believe this will resonate with a lot of the disabled community. It can be challenging to just get up and go when you have to plan everything within an inch of its life and arrange PA support for particular events. Martyn commented on the fact he tries to manage his time affectively to ensure everything get’s done. He spoke about his business, Disability Horizons, and how this has created a platform for disabled people, giving them “the ability to connect with likeminded people and share stories“. Juggling different tasks is an important skill that can be learnt through planning and being aware of your own limits.

A positive mindset: One thing Martyn said helped him was journaling. By writing every day, even if it isn’t posted anywhere, gives you a chance to reflect on the day. Journaling enabled Martyn to be honest with himself and take time out of the busyness of life to check in with himself. He said “be curious” and explore different ideas. Similarly, his advice was about being empowered to make decisions, whether this is about your care or any aspect of life. A member of the audience asked him what he did when faced with the views of others, his response: “the worst thing you can do is not be true to yourself, we all seek approval but don’t worry what others think” was something I really appreciated.

Martyn ended his talk by saying “when I started blogging it wasn’t to talk on a stage, it was to share my story and push towards a fairer society” if that doesn’t sum it all up, then I don’t know what will!

Accessible Travel: Tips, Tricks and Tech

This talk was given my Carrie-Ann Lightley who is an award-winning travel blogger. She is also the Marketing Manager at AccessAble which is app that enables disabled people to find out about the access at 10,000’s of places around the UK. All reviews are written by disabled people who have visited those places.

Carrie- Ann started by saying “it can be stressful, worrying and sometimes disastrous, but it can be amazing if you let it” when describing how she travels as a disabled person. She goes on to appreciate that it can be easy to get bogged down in access and you forget what you want to achieve, as a disabled person we need to think about everything in so much detail to ensure it works. Yet she rightly states “it shouldn’t be something you put off like emptying the dishwasher“.

Carrie- Ann’s Top Tips

– Research and plan- information is power

– Technology is your friend- access begins online
– Document everything- always have evidence to backup arrangements
– Pack essentials- equipment and aids, functional products make travel easier
– Be flexible- allow time for plans to change
– Enjoy it!
As part of researching a trip, Carrie- Ann spoke about AccessAble. She described the concept of the app and that the purpose isn’t to give places ratings due to the fact that everyone is different. The aim is to give spontaneity back to the person which is something I personally love! Carrie- Ann went on to say “I just want to go out for drinks” and I’m pretty sure this is something a lot of people can relate to, and if you’re a wheelchair user (or have any disability for that matter) you’d be surprised at how hard this can be.
Other tips around planning was about having copies of manuals and anything that allows you to prove the access you require and that you are allowed to take things like medication, wheelchair batteries and other mobility equipment. Furthermore, she also said “without sounding like a millennial my phone is everything” and this is something I can agree with! Yes, having access to social media and text messages is great, yet it can also give us access to documentation, research around accessibility and hold all the tickets we may need. Another thing I felt was really important, was the idea of being flexible. There is no point in exhausting yourself and allow downtime, it’s okay (and vital) to manage your disability when you are on holiday.
Carrie- Ann ended her talk by saying how it can be harder to go on holiday, but that this can be what make the experience even richer, with the concluding comment being “I’m not saying it’s easy… but when it comes together it’s amazing“.

Always Looking Up

This talk was given by Warwick Davis, who probably doesn’t need any introductions! He is a renowned actor, presenter, producer and director who has featured in films such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. Warwick is also president of Little People UK, a charity for people with dwarfism.
The talk was opened with the question “do you see yourself as disabled?“, with the answer appearing pretty straightforward it quickly became clear this was not the case. Warwick commented that in many ways he did, yet went on to say “in my own mind, as the way I perceive myself, it’s seen as an advantage, as my superpower”. As many of us may know, the identity of disability is both complex and individual, can it be both positive and negative? I personally think it can.
On the other hand, many factors can influence our view of disability. Warwick reported that that when he was born a bleak picture was painted, but his parents fought against it. He said “it wasn’t a get out of jail free card because I was short” and that his parents encouraged him to participate in all aspects of school life. To the amusement of the audience, Warwick commented on the fact “this was fine until the long jump… but [that] it’s all about having a go” and that more often than not you succeed.
A lot of the talk focused around the mentality that we have. Quoting his old friend Yoda, “do or do not, there is no try” seemed extremely fitting. Yet many views we have around disability might not entirely be our own, more what we have been told by society. A top tip was that we must “refrain from that voice in your head that says you can’t do something”, as well as doing things that challenge us and remove us from our comfort zone. Furthermore, when discussing coping strategies Warwick acknowledged that it is often the most trivial things that are the most annoying, but that finding humour in these situations can lead to the best outcomes.
Finally, comments around society rang true with a lot of the audience. It was noted that we not only want to be part of society, but have a valid contribution within it. He then went on to say “every day you have to fight to be recognised and that can be the biggest challenge“, this can be extremely difficult when it has to be done every day. Also, you become more isolated because of society being politically correct. Warwick made it very clear that if we continue there will become a point where disabled people won’t be spoken to at all. This point was illustrated by how parents can teach their children about disability. The worst thing a parent can do when a child is curious about disability is pull them away from the situation. Warwick said “they should be encouraging that conversation” and that to normalise disability, children must have those positive experiences because “that’s how you change society“.
Concluding comments: “Turn the barrier into a challenge and then a challenge can be overcome, not always 100%, but it’s something to get your teeth stuck into and find out.”
~ Chloe

2 Comments

  • Popping Wheelies

    4th April 2019 at 12:18 pm Reply

    I like the concept of multiple disabilities working and improving lives together. Men, women, white cane users, wheelchair users, even people who use both! Together we learn and are strong. Thank you for sharing this.

  • niamhgabriellex

    6th April 2019 at 3:39 pm Reply

    Okay, the employment panel sounded so good! I totally agree with the "people might think they will never get it right, so therefore don't engage at all" comment!
    With technology, AI & automation advancing so quickly, regular 9-5 jobs will be diminishing. This is something I'm really interested in, especially in terms of politics, disability, welfare benefits & universal basic income. Culture around both disabled people & deemed "value" of job/productivity needs to drastically change to meet the rapidly changing work environment!

    As a huge Star Wars fan, I love Warwick! Hahaha!

Leave a Reply