Meet your Network Chair
I am delighted to be the chair of Ability First Staff Network and have found this supportive and passionate spirit of the group incredible. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year at the age of 51, this is something that has impacted on me throughout my life, often leading to feeling misunderstood and judged by others.
However my experience began as a child seeing how people treated my mum differently because she was in a wheelchair and her speech was slurred, she was overlooked and ignored by people and society in general. She took it in her stride but I was offended, I decided I would always strive to see the person not the label, impairment or disability.
As an society we cannot expect everyone to have the same needs, there isn’t a one size fits all solution so I feel passionate about this group working towards making a difference and developing systemic inclusion, where making adjustments is the norm. So we no longer see it as making “reasonable adjustments” we see it as providing the tools for a person to come to work, a bit like giving them a desk and a chair or computer.
Meet your Network Vice Chair
My name is Bridget Griffin, I am Senior People and Organisational Development Business Partner, and I support the Knowsley borough. I was delighted to be asked to be Vice Chair for the Ability First Network. As its names suggests, this is a positive network, keen on sharing ideas on developing practices and support for those in the workplace who experience disability. I am pleased the network also welcomes those who support others with a disability, be that personally or professionally, because it is acknowledged this too may have an impact on a person’s experience of being part of our Trust.