The Social Model of Disability: What it is and why knowing it is good for business

Description

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.

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)

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.

This programme is delivered by the North Essex Economic Board (NEEB) in partnership with Let's Do Business Group.

Let's Do Business Group is undertaking this project jointly with the North Essex Economic Board (NEEB). The Board is a partnership of local authorities in the area: Braintree, Maldon, and Tendring district councils, Colchester Borough Council, Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

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