Event Speaking
A passionate, engaging and relatable speaker. Esi has the ability to bring theories of disability equality and disability inclusion to life. Are you looking for a speaker for your upcoming event?
Disability Speaker, Discussion Host, Radio Slot, Podcast Guest, Panelist
Public & Internal Events Focused on Enabling Change
When starting out or continuing your disability inclusion journey, it can be hard to know where to start. This is because developing a culture where disabled people feel included, valued and supported is not a straightforward, linear path. There are many subtleties that need to be considered.
Supporting your workforce and stakeholders to understand where you are, what you're doing and most importantly, why you're doing it, will enable you to develop trust and rapport. This strategy is imperative when defining your goal and deciding your next step.
Internal workplace events can also provide a platform for disabled employees and disability allies around your organisation to share experiences in a safe, supportive environment.
Clients who have benefited from a Celebrating Disability talk have included:
Biogen, Siemens, Elexon, Zettle by PayPal, Three, Heathrow, Carita Anchor House, HCC, Pepper Global, Risk Solutions Group & Housing Solutions.
Tailoring a Talk to Your Requirements
Although the layout and format may be replicated, every talk is tailored to deliver specific content to your outcomes. Celebrating Disability will work with you to discover what those outcomes are and who ensure they work towards your goals of disability inclusion. Themes of talks can also vary depending on awareness levels of participants who will be attending and desired engagement for and as a result of the event.
In the past, popular topics of talks have included:
- Barriers presented to disabled people
- Diversity of disability
- Being a disability ally
- Business as usual disability inclusion strategies
Generally, Celebrating Disability utilise three main styles when delivering talks. However, if you have the specific in mind, we would love to discuss. The main styles we use when delivering talks are discussed below.
Talk with Q&A
This style would involve the host doing the majority of the talking. Typically, a style of talk such as this would include around 40 minutes of content and 15/20 minutes worth of questions and answers.
During the talk, participants will have an opportunity to participate in "ask in response" interactions.
Guided conversation
A guided conversation would give employees the opportunity to share their experiences of the barriers they face as disabled people within your organisation. Employees with caring responsibilities also benefit from this opportunity to share their experiences and how workplace structures and barriers affect them.
Often, guided conversations support allies to empathise and develop understanding of the subtle barriers that faced disabled people and people with caring responsibilities. As a result, the learnings from these conversations support workplaces to develop strategies and open the door to dialogue.
Fireside Chats
Fireside chats are a good way to start the conversation when this is your first entry into disability inclusion.
These talks are pure Q&A sessions. Often, the host will support the client to decide the overall topic up for discussion. The host can then give a five minute intro into the topic.
The rest of the session is then dedicated to answering any questions that attendees and participants have. As a result of the session, clients will have a deeper understanding of the pain points experienced by employees.
Mind Your Own Business
While networking in May 2017, Esi met Amelia Bishop and they spoke about disability awareness and inclusion in the workplace and specifically, ways in which businesses can be more inclusive towards disabled people.
As a result, Amelia invited Esi onto her Swindon radio show “Mind Your Own Business” to talk about the work Celebrating Disability does and how businesses can support disabled people.
PossAbility TV
Ray Vernon, owner of MySokoni, interviewed Esi on a couple of occasions for his vimeo channel. They talked about the importance of language and etiquette, the barriers to networking as a wheelchair user and the social model of disability.
EvenBreak
I just wanted to say thank you. You are such an engaging speaker… From our first conversation at the D&I event. I came away with admiration and thinking not only how intelligent but also how articulate you are. You are such an effortless storyteller and then to see you hold the room at the away day in a manner that you did left me (and many of my other colleagues) with an even greater feeling of awe!
Women At Work
The Panel of Executive Women spoke about their experiences of work and Esi, a disability speaker talking about disability awareness and work was able to bring another perspective to the discussion.
PrideInside Festival
Hosted by ParaPride
Member of a panel discussion held as part of a wider LGBTQ+ festival for Pride month in 2020. Esi spoke (along with fellow panel members) on the importance of allyship and how to be a good ally.