The Social Model of Disability: What it is and why knowing it is good for business
Event details
Virtual
Free event
Date
- Thu Mar 13th 2025 | 12:00 pm till 2:00 pm
In the UK, 25% of people have a disability. This means, on average, 1 in every 4 of your clients, customers or employees will have a disability.
People often underestimate this number because 80% of disabilities are hidden or invisible, meaning you can’t see them. People also often assume that most people with disabilities are pensioners when in fact 80% of people acquire a disability when they are of working age.
This interactive two hour workshop will use the social model of disability as a framework to demonstrate how understanding disability and embracing inclusivity can significantly benefit your business.
Event details:
Date: Thursday 13th March 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Online (ZOOM)
For: This workshop is for businesses based in North Essex (Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, and Tendring)
Why disability matters to your business:
- The Purple Pound: Disabled people and their families have a substantial spending power – an estimated £274 billion per year in the UK. By making your business accessible and inclusive, you tap into this significant market.
- Enhanced brand reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity enhances your brand image and attracts people who value social responsibility.
- Attract top talent: A diverse and inclusive workplace attracts and retains skilled employees, giving you a competitive edge in the North Essex job market.
- Increased employee morale: When employees feel valued and respected, morale and productivity improve.
In this interactive workshop, you will:
- Explore the Social Model of Disability: Understand how societal barriers create disability, not individual impairments.
- Identify and address barriers: Explore common barriers faced by disabled people in
accessing your products or services, such as inaccessible websites, limited physical access, and inadequate customer service.
- Learn inclusive language and terminology and the skills to navigate conversations about disability with greater respect and sensitivity.
- Challenge unconscious bias: Examine your own assumptions and biases regarding disability and learn strategies to account for their impact.
Interactive workshop elements will include:
- Engaging group discussions: Share experiences and best practices with other business owners.
- Case studies: Analyse real-world examples of businesses that have successfully embraced inclusivity.
- Q&A sessions: Ask questions and receive expert guidance from the webinar host.
Meet the Host:
Michelle Scicluna – Founder of The Disability Force
Michelle approaches her workshops with compassion, believing that people genuinely want to do the right thing, but often lack the knowledge to be able to do so. This is because historically and as a society, we haven’t done disability particularly well. The key to doing disability better lies in understanding and applying the social model of disability which focuses on removing societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments.
Michelle shares her own lived experience as a disabled woman to help bring workshops to life. Acquiring a disability in her late 20s, Michelle knows what it was like to live without a disability and then find yourself suddenly navigating life with barriers you didn’t even understand existed.
Michelle now uses her own journey, combined with her expertise as an evidence-based disability and inclusive leadership coach – certified by the University of Cambridge – to help businesses create more inclusive business and workplace practices and policies.
Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements to help you get the most out of this online workshop and we will do our best to accommodate your needs where we can.