Transcript
Esi:
Did you know that disabled people make up 20% of the UK consumer spend? That’s a whopping 260 billion pounds plus every year. But many businesses aren’t seeing these figures reflected in their annual turnover, not because disabled people do not want to spend money with them, but because they’re not doing everything possible to be inclusive of disabled people, because if a business is not inclusive, that disabled customer will simply move on somewhere else. The 30 day inclusion audit package can help you fill those gaps in knowledge by offering you one to one tailored support for a one off fee, you will receive the following, unlimited access to Esi via phone and email for 30 days, a two hour audit of your physical premises if it’s accessible, assign tasks to be completed by either yourself or nominated employees to support you. To put the theory behind disability inclusion into practice, a detailed report with recommendations on implementation of disability inclusion within your organisation, included in the report will be the following areas, your physical premises, your documentation and literature, both internal and external, staff, confidence and competence, website and digital media content to find out more, visit celebrating disabilities website at www.celebratingdisability.co.uk, and get in touch. Alternatively, click on the link in the description of this episode to book a 30 minute consultation.
So hello everyone, and welcome again to another recording of part of me podcast. The podcast has been running for a year and a half now, so thank you so much for tuning in, and I really, really hope that it’s really useful. I’ve had some really nice feedback from some of the listeners, so please continue to send that in. It’s really lovely to hear that this is really helpful for you. So today, as usual, we’re just going to get on with our interviewee, and we’ve got Victoria here for episode 19 to talk to us a little bit about her experiences of her disability.
So hello, Victoria,
Victoria:
Hello.
Esi:
Thank you so much for joining us today.
Victoria:
No, it’s been lovely. I’m really looking forward to this. Yeah, me too
Esi:
Me too. So could you just explain to us who you are and what you do for a living?
Victoria:
So of course, I’m Victoria Edwards, and I do a lot of voluntary based work. Currently, I’ve worked within marketing, doing like events and just literally a lot of different things.
Esi:
Okay can you expand on that a little bit? What kind of events do you do?
Victoria:
It’s mainly events within the art sector, right? Trying to make it accessible as much as possible, and kind of the area of the events I run anyway,
Esi:
Yeah, that sounds really good. So you actually, are you designing the events yourself, or are you advising people on how to make them a bit more inclusive?
Victoria:
I’m actually working in working with it certain individuals, such as making space to actually create events with them. So I kind of like create it, right? Okay, can we actually run this?
Esi:
That sounds great. That sounds really, really good.
Victoria:
It is fantastic.
Esi:
Yeah. I mean, at the end of the podcast, it would be great to get more details so that I can advertise that on when I promote this podcast, because I’m sure other people would love to hear more about it.
Victoria:
Actually, yes, making space is a lovely little craft place in Leigh Park, okay, disadvantaged area and trying to bring arts to basically everyone.
Esi:
Yeah, that’s great, brilliant. Do you mind telling us a little bit about your disability and how that your disability affects you?
Victoria:
Yes, so I am classed as severely partially sighted, okay, haemorrhage in 2010 which has left me paralysed on my left side. So I’ve got a severe weakness, especially within my arm, because, of course, I try to rehabilitate myself as much as possible, which is fantastic. I’m back a lot further than I was. That the barriers are sometimes I can get fatigue and walking like my sight certain things you can’t necessarily see directly, especially within a retail setting, and shops and things,
Esi:
okay, okay, so, so what do you do to overcome some of those challenges?
Victoria:
The main thing that I do to overcome the challenges is either use my sight cane to walk around, but a lot of the time I take my time when walking, especially around, for example, if you’re running an event, is making sure that you know where everything is and that there’s accessible routes to go through when I’m sitting on the desk and working in the office. It’s fantastic because you’re using a computer, which is one of the most greatest things people say with people with sight loss, or you should use a computer. Well, that’s actually the best thing you could actually have. You can blow things up. You can make sure that everything’s accessible to you with software. Is fantastic.
Esi:
Yeah i guess you people don’t often, people still have a tendency to clamp certain disabilities and categories. So if you’re if you have this impairment, then you sure you can’t do that. But with things like assistive technology, as you say, it makes it creates a world that’s really accessible and really easy for people to use, because, as you said, you can have things exactly the way you want them to be,
Victoria:
Yeah, exactly the adjustments are amazing, and there’s nothing can stop anyone now. Yeah, do anything you could set your mind to
Esi:
That is very true. That’s always what I tell people as well. So when you’re going to a venue for the first time, how you talked about the challenges of not knowing your way around. So how do you overcome those barriers?
Victoria:
It’s normally, sometimes I actually ask the individuals that, for example, trying to sell the space, or, for example, saying, right, okay, this is happening in this venue. I say, right. Okay. Where is this? Where do I have to go? Is there anything that could be in my way initially? And then, for example, again, I back it up with using either a psych head or somebody else that’s with me guiding you through. And often, when you’re working within events and trying to create them. You have somebody with you anyway to try and reassure and have, like, a second opinion. So like, Oh no, this is not quite good enough. So it’s quite hardy sometimes,
Esi:
Yeah, yeah, I can imagine. I mean, for me, I’ve recently started I’m physically disabled myself. My my impairment is a mobility impairment. And for me, recently, I’ve started doing more stuff on my own without personal assistance, just because I feel as though I can be slightly more myself when I’m on my own and I don’t have to worry about being able to find people to come with me. But those kind of I think it opens the conversation up a bit more saying to the person I’m going to be meeting. Okay, this is the support I’m going to need, and it doesn’t have to be big things, but this is, this is my access requirements, and sometimes it helps people kind of settle in and become a bit more easy with me straight away. Do you find that, or do you think that causes extra barriers?
Victoria:
I think if, for me, it’s being very open with the individuals, but certain individuals, if you’re too open to then they suddenly go, Oh, okay. And they start almost babying you, because everyone’s my age as well. They’re like, Oh, it’s okay. Then you’re like, No, I can’t actually speak. I do have sound mind.
Esi:
Yeah, I have been in this kind of environment before. I do, I did get here without your help, so I’ll be fine. I just need a bit of this. Absolutely. Do you, I’ve been talking about attitudes. Do you find attitudes a barrier at all? Do you generally find that people are very open
Victoria:
Within the arts sector, especially, and also, with me, working with two can diversity? It’s everyone seems to be. Individuals have almost been too shy to ask about disabilities and things like that. They don’t really understand it’s kind of shy to people. They won’t really interact as such. So I guess that could be kind of like a social barrier, but people are too nervous to speak.
Esi:
Yeah, absolutely. So what would you what do you do? And what would you suggest in those kind of situations?
Victoria:
I normally end up going over to the individual and just being kind of starting a conversation with them. Is it okay to ask you some questions? I’m like, of course, yes, I’m completely open to that. Yeah. I’m trying to break down the barriers. Yeah.
Esi:
I mean, I suppose with your work with toucan diversity, actually, for those who don’t know, do you mind just explaining a little bit about toucan diversity and what they do and what you do with them as well?
Victoria:
Yeah, sure. So toucan diversity is a disability equality training, but businesses or individuals who really want to understand disabilities more, and they cover a range of that. And for me, I work on their digital marketing, but also I’m training to become one of their secretaries and a trustee.
Esi:
Okay
Victoria:
It’s fantastic that they’ve given me those opportunities to grow within toucan
Esi:
Absolutely. Brilliant. Brilliant. So when you’re delivering training with toucan, do you find, I mean, you were talking before about sometimes people that you know don’t want to ask or feel uncomfortable, how do you break down those barriers in your training sessions?
Victoria:
I think I’ve been along to a few training sessions and really observe them. And I think it’s people come there and they’re like, in their mindset, they’re like, Okay, I It’s okay to ask. And we’re very open. And we basically say, please ask the questions here, because we know we can, we know we’re not going to be offended at all. Yeah, ask them please.
Esi:
Yeah
Victoria:
To get all the questions out, and some of them that you think are absolutely crazy, to think that a lot of the time you like, I’m really happy you actually asked that.
Esi:
Yeah. And I guess if you’ve never, and I guess if you’ve never had the opportunity to ask the question before, then no questions. A silly question, because a lot of people haven’t come across disability before, so that question for them is, you know, the most important one. So if you were giving advice to managers supporting disabled people. I mean, I do think I’m thinking of all our other interviewees that we’ve had on the podcast. I think you’re, you’re one of the first people that worked in events and also delivered training as well, which is brilliant. So if you go to give advice to managers that are supporting a disabled person, perhaps with a sight impairment, what would be your advice?
Victoria:
My biggest advice would be, always ask the individual, okay, that is the My biggest thing, because they will open up. Say, actually, I may need computer so that I can enlarge things, things, or I may need extra breaks, like an extra five minute break every now and then, just to reset my body and everything. So if you ask the individual, every individual will be different. I can’t say one thing for me will be the exactly the same to somebody else,.
Esi:
Absolutely, Okay, brilliant.
Victoria:
Biggest thing for me is always saying that there is access to work like, you know, and they can get funding from the government to help people into work?
Esi:
Yeah, I think, I think that that’s one of the things that you know, is still, you know, one of those really unknown subjects. So I talk about it a lot on this podcast and in my training and the work that I do, and I’m sure you do as well, but it’s still, it’s still one of those things that’s really unknown, and I think it opens up a lot of doors when people understand a bit more about access to work. So thank you very much for bringing it up today.
Victoria:
No, that’s absolutely fine. It’s one of my biggest things from the experience I’ve had within, like, different work environments, certain individuals have been hesitant to employ me, and then I said, Actually, I do. I can have these things from access to work. You don’t necessarily have to pay out a small fortune for it all., that’s my biggest thing. Is pushing it out there and saying, Actually, I’m no different to the other individual who is completely able bodied, yeah, some extra stuff.
Esi:
Yeah, exactly which, obviously is a is a bonus for the employee as well the employer? Sorry, because they’re getting not only your professional skills, but your personal skills that you’ve gained from lived experience of disability as well, and all those extra business skills that come along with that as well.
Victoria:
Yeah, exactly, all the experience that you’ve actually gained, yeah, knowledge as well, and you may actually then end up becoming a disability advocate within your company, and things actually making people see the companies more approachable,
Esi:
Yeah, yes, yeah. Okay, great. That’s brilliant, excellent. Thank you. So what advice would you give to disabled people in the workplace?
Victoria:
Is the most important thing that I say to them is always say, if something’s not right, I mean, that is the biggest thing. If something’s not right for you, you open up and ask other people might be able to help you find a way around it. Never feel that you’re on your own in that, oh my God, you’re the odd one out, or you seem to be needing more and, oh, I’m not sure about that, because that is the biggest thing for me. There’s so many individuals do. I spoke with that and my friends, oh, I’m not sure about this, or should I mention that? And I’m like, You should, because the biggest thing is being more open and allow them to help you more. I can make you an even better self within in the employment environment.
Esi:
I completely agree. I 100% agree with that. And again, you know, I can only second that from my personal experience years ago, when I, you know, first went into the workplace as a disabled person, I think I apologised for everything, for breathing half the time, and you didn’t expect anyone else to have to take any responsibility. But you know, life got so much better the minute I accepted the fact that my disability was something to be celebrated and was a huge part of who I was and added so much to the work environment.
Victoria:
Oh, yeah, exactly. That’s my biggest thing, is saying that you’re the things that you carry are actually more experience and more advice that you can give others. Yeah, and that’s my biggest thing. Really ashamed of it.
Esi:
Absolutely I think that’s great advice to give to people. Okay, so we’re just going to change the tone of thinking about yourself as a consumer buying a product or service. What would you say was your biggest barrier?
Victoria:
I think my biggest barrier would be, for example, not being able to see the physical, actual item itself. So for example, whether it’s an item or service, whether you’re in a hotel, you can hear lots of things about the hotel, or you can hear lots of things about like a specific beauty product or things, but when you’re actually trying to use those items, it can be quite a challenge on a product, the writing could be really, really small. If you don’t have anything with you to help you see that, then that can be a challenge. Or if you’re using a service have never thought of around the disabled aspect of it and saying, Oh, well, that person may need more signs and things like that to see where they’re going. And that happens is in general, so, yeah, but I think the biggest thing for me overcoming that is really being able to either ask the person next to me if I’ve actually forgotten a product or something, or even like a member of staff, saying, Hey, what’s that? Or, for example, using a magnifier on your phone. Okay, fantastic adaption. I do love it. I use it all the time. It’s brilliant.
Esi:
I think, my apologies, sorry,
Victoria:
That’s fine.
Esi:
I was just gonna say, I think, you know, I think, I mean, there’s so much there I would like to unpack a bit more. But I think the last thing you said was really good advice as well, using the things that around you that already exist on your existing technologies to help you, like the magnifier on the phone. I would never have thought of that. But, you know, it’s such a simple solution, really.
Victoria:
It really is, I think, in the modern age. And that was some people don’t like to bring out all these high tech stuff, because it makes it for them. It makes them feel very different. And even for myself, I’m like, right, okay, me, I’m like, okay, that makes me look a little bit strange at times. I need it. I need it. That’s it. So exactly using on your phone, it’s fantastic to, like, really subtle. And it’s like you’re just taking a photo of it, but actually you’re reading it,
Esi:
Yeah, yeah. And it means that you can, you can continue your independence and do the things the way you want to do it, how you want to do it as well,
Victoria:
Exactly. It’s really fantastic. And I mean the little things that you can actually find these days. And I’m finding something new every day that’s really accessible and helping me, using,
Esi:
Yeah, okay. You can say, for example, sorry,
Victoria:
Yeah. No,I might say, for example, I can’t think now there’s
Esi:
So many things, so many things for me, some of the things exist you, for example, on iPhones with Siri on iPhones, just being able to say, I know it’s been around for ages now, but just being able to simply type out a text message by talking into my phone is really, really helpful, especially on things like car journeys and in trains, where the motion is so much that I can’t actually get my finger on the button. It’s really, really handy. Yeah,
Victoria:
No, exactly. I think the big thing for me is I’m also dyslexic, so using Siri and just saying a word in it and then suddenly spells it,,
Esi:
Yeah
Victoria:
Often in workplace, I have my phone out oh, it’s just my dictionary. Don’t worry
Esi:
Yeah, I’m not bored. Don’t worry. So going back to what you were saying earlier about being a consumer, you were talking about a little bit about the signage as well. Just tell me a bit about that from your experience.
Victoria:
Well, for me, the signage can often be, and I think this is for general people, is often some environments are not very well signed posting, so you’re thinking, right, okay, for example, when you need the toilet, it’s like, where are they in a little car, new pub or a restaurant area? So you always end up having to go and ask somebody. So the idea of having something there, and I mean, some signs can be in certain texts that are really hard for people to see, especially with sight issues. So again, it’s just, I think, for me, is that that is quite a barrier. But to overcome it, I just ask the person next to me, or ask the person near me, even a member of staff. I say, actually, where is this? And they normally give pretty good directions,
Esi:
Yeah, as long as they don’t point I suppose, over there,
Victoria:
Yes, where are you pointing.
Esi:
Exactly. Yeah. So would you so if you had the option of having to ask people or having the right signage so that you didn’t have to ask anyone, which one would you opt for?
Victoria:
I think for me for independence things I don’t mind either, but I think the idea of having proper signage that it’s very clear for people to see, I think would actually help a lot of people, because some people are very shy and don’t like asking as much of me, yeah, so I think it would have to be that for others,
Esi:
Okay, but having a combination of both, so having the staff members that are still willing and helpful To help you to get where you want to go, would still be really helpful, I think as well.
Victoria:
Oh, definitely, yeah, that would be fantastic.
Esi:
Okay. And also, I wanted to ask you a little bit about, I mean, we were talking about you buying products or services, and I think that you reading between the lines. It sounds like you were talking more about being in the physical shop and the physical space. But how do you find web shopping? So shopping on the internet, shopping on the internet.
Victoria:
Because, of course, the adaptions in computers these days, it’s fairly easy to do. You can enlarge an image, in most instances and actually see what it is. But when you’re reading the blurb again, you can zoom out. So there hasn’t really been much of a barrier of online shopping. Often these days as well, you can actually there’s a little box that comes up in the corner, yeah, that you can have, like, a conversation or a video chat with individual individual to help you more. Yeah, I think that’s really broken down the barriers that were there in the first place.
Esi:
Yeah, no, I think you’re right. I think you’re right. How do you find, because lots of people say to me that the alt tags are always not consistent or not correct, how do you find things like captioning and alt tagging and things like that?
Victoria:
I think, I think there are a challenge, but nothing that you can overcome. For me is those certain things that you could do on your computer. I’ve learned to become a little bit of a computer geek when it comes to all these kinds of things. You find out what sorts that you can do on computers when you really do searching and you can block certain things that happen and pop ups and things, which is always handy from time to time. It depends on the computer and how you can’t block it, yeah,
Esi:
Yeah. Absolutely no. I agree. Okay, brilliant, excellent. Thank you very much. So we coming to the end of the interview now, is there anything else you would like us and the listeners to know?
Victoria:
I don’t really think so. I think for me, it’s just that there is always a way to do something, and there is always an opportunity there. You just have to be very open and be more flexible to speak about the things that you find difficult to then have other people as well try and help find a solution. It’s not it shouldn’t always be just you, yeah,
Esi:
Yeah, no. I mean, I think that’s great advice for both disabled people and for managers as well, because I think sometimes people feel the pressure on the other side, as well as a manager of an organisation to have all the answers. And obviously, like we were saying before, if you’ve never come across it before, then you’re not going to know the answer. And as you said, rightly so, that no two disabled people are the same. So our needs as disabled people, you and I are going to be very different. So I do think that that’s really helpful advice for managers as well as disabled people to actually not be afraid to ask for help. So thank you very much for that.
Victoria:
No, thank you
Esi:
If Do you have any Are you on? I know that you’re on LinkedIn, but are you on Twitter and Facebook, or any of these other social medias?,
Victoria:
Yes, I’m also on Facebook, okay, Victoria Edwards and Twitter. I think I’m Vicky Edwards. Okay, brilliant.
Esi:
So what I’ll do is I will add those links in, so if people want to find out more about you, and we won’t advertise stupid diversity, because they are celebrating disability competitors, but they are very they’re a very good organisation. I have actually gone and sat on some of their training, which is really good. I sat on the training session when Medici was delivering some training. So that was brilliant, actually, great. So yes, thank you so much, Victoria for your time. And yeah, please feel free to come on the podcast again in the future.
Victoria:
I’d love to, I’d love to,
Esi:
Okay, absolutely, yeah, what’s been going on, what’s been happening? Okay, great. Well, thank you very much.
Victoria:
No, thank you.
Esi:
Okay And bye. Everyone.