Our Staff Disability Network connects staff, enabling them to share experiences, information, and best practices, offer peer support, and influence positive change for disabled people at Queen Mary.
Although around 19% of working age adults are thought to be disabled in the UK, only 3.5% of Queen Mary staff have disclosed having a disability (as of 2016/2017)[1]. Disabled people can face a variety of challenges entering and progressing in the workplace, from the accessibility of buildings, technologies and ways of working to the stigma surrounding many mental and physical health conditions and impairments.
Queen Mary is committed to creating a working and learning environment which is inclusive of and accessible to disabled people. We want to ensure that disabled people are treated with dignity and respect and are given the support they need to thrive. We want to listen to and learn from the needs, concerns and experiences of disabled staff and take informed action to be more inclusive and supportive.
The Network is currently open to any Queen Mary staff member who identifies as disabled or has a mental or physical health condition or impairment. This could include staff who have experience of:
It is important to recognise that disabled people are a very diverse group of individuals, and no experience of being disabled is the same. Not all disabilities are visible or permanent. The Network will never ask you to disclose any disability or health condition.
The Network is hosted on Microsoft Teams, where members can have conversations on Channels, share files and resources and host meetings online. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Team are on hand to help, and to take forward any issues raised by the Network.
The Microsoft Teams site is a private group and though there is some degree of visibility when you join (other members can see who you are), we request that members maintain strict confidentiality about its membership and contents.
This Network has initially been set up and is supported by the EDI Team, but it is not our Network: it’s yours. We hope that the Network will be led by staff, for staff. We are currently gathering ideas on how members want to run the Network and what you want to get out of it. Staff will have the opportunity to contribute in a variety of ways: for example, through Team Meetings online, Channel discussions via Teams as well as by email or phone.
Below are some core aims that the Network might want to consider. However, these need to work for its members, so these will be updated, refined and prioritised as members join and shape the Network to meet their needs and goals. These will also likely change over time as the Network evolves.
If you want to be involved with the Network, you can join the Microsoft Teams site here, or just search for 'Staff Disability Network' in your Teams searchbar and request to join.