Our mission now goes further and we promote sector-wide change by highlighting career pathways for disabled people, supporting inclusive education and recruitment and creating accessible cultures – physically and digitally.
From curiosity to commitment: my journey
As a partially blind person, I was excited – and curious – about training as a fitness instructor through the InstructAbility programme.
In 2014, I became the YMCA Fit’s first visually-impaired Exercise to Music trainee.
That milestone launched a career delivering audio-described dance fitness for blind groups, accessible fitness sessions for diverse audiences across the sector, and corporate energisers and team-building services.
I’m now an Exercise referral specialist and a member of the EmployAbility Strategic Partners Group.
Why digital accessibility matters
I believe that inclusion must go beyond access to physical spaces and it must include the digital world, too, because we’re living in a digital age and accessibility is vital across the entire journey – from recruitment to training, development and as a constant on daily tasks in the workplace.
Accessible formats for blind and visually impaired people include Word documents and websites built to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), enabling screen-reading software to convert text into speech.
While I’ve had great support from training providers, some newer online platforms introduced unintended barriers, such as being incompatible with screen-reading software.
The good news? These issues are easily addressed through accessibility audits and expert scripting, making the platforms usable again.
You don’t need to scrap your systems but you do need to review them, so start where you are, get an audit, plan for access in your budgets and keep moving forward.
Why this work matters
In the UK, 16.1 million people, that is 24% of the population, are disabled yet only 54.2% of working-age disabled adults are employed, compared to 82% of non-disabled people, causing a 27.9 percentage point gap.
In our own sector, the gap is more acute with just 9% of disabled people saying they’ve had the opportunity to coach or deliver sport and physical activity, compared to 24% of non-disabled people.
At the same time, disabled adults are almost twice as likely to be physically inactive as non-disabled adults (39.5% vs. 20.2%).
Good work is already happening, will you join in?
I’ve experienced inspiring commitment from training providers like YMCA Fit and dance fitness brands like Clubbercise and SOSA Dance Fitness, who’ve trained and certified instructors with a wide range of disabilities.
Employers using Guide C have already improved our sector through an increased level of confidence among the staff, made recruitment more inclusive and enhanced feedback and onboarding processes.
Let’s connect!
Our free guides are here to support you, your team and your workplace. You don’t need to get it all right immediately, but taking steps forward is what matters.
We also want to say that we’re here for you and since Activity Alliance is currently acting as secretariat for the group, you can contact Dawn Hughes, their strategic partnerships advisor, and/or their workforce lead, Helen Newberry if you’ve got any questions, want to highlight any barriers or give us your feedback.
Let’s have a conversation, swap ideas, compare notes, celebrate your wins, tackle the challenges and keep learning together.
