I know. This week’s update sounds like a riveting spy novel. It was in fact my week, in a short summary. To be fair my week was as riveting as a good novel. Yet all completely non fiction.

The Baroness

As you know, I’ve been on a mission for a fully inclusive world. Part of playing your part for social change is learning everything about the game. Particularly what came before your time.

Disabled people have been fighting for rights and inclusion forever. Luckily in the 1970s and 1980s a band of world changers protested, got in the face of decision makers, and persuaded them of the benefits to societal inclusion.

One of the leaders was Baroness Jane Campbell. She lead by example. Articulating the dream. Planning how to get there. Never giving up. Taking risks. Such an exciting time in disability rights to finally give us legal protection and independent living policies.

Here’s our video interview on YouTube and the podcast version on Anchor! I hope you enjoy learning more from my absolute role model for inclusion. Jane discusses Covid19, campaigning, enforcement of the Equalities Act, and the economic argument for inclusion.

The Entrepreneur

For a long time the change makers for inclusion were political activists. Don’t get me wrong, they still are. However as disabled people received more legal rights and lived more independently, new opportunities arose.

Not only could we move more freely, to see the world, and move higher up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We could work and heaven forbid start our own businesses.

I’m grateful to be in a generation of disabled people that enjoys these opportunities. Naturally while still fighting to keep them. I’m also lucky to be classed as one of the first disabled entrepreneurs. Along with my childhood friend Srin Madipalli.

We love solving problems. We love using emerging technology and media to do it. We love how business can make the solutions sustainable, creating jobs for others, and much more.

This week I also sat down with Srin on the Daily Sib to chew the fat on our adventures. Our journey started on global travels, but quickly moved to co founding Disability Horizons, Accomable and a new era of inclusion.

Here’s our YouTube video episode and here’s the Anchor podcast version. Srin shares his thoughts on proving a business concept, getting funding, scaling up, and exiting. Accomable exited to Airbnb in 2017.

The Influencers

Since moving in to social and influencer marketing, particularly with my new business Purple Goat agency, it’s been fascinating learning about a whole new industry.

Consumers are on social media more than ever, and don’t want the traditional advert interrupting them.

Content creators have growing audiences that respect them. However to give their community more value, they need revenue to live off of. People often don’t realise how much goes in to creating great content.

Brands struggle to replicate that level of human touch. But they can align themselves with influencers, and authentically support communities. As well as financially supporting the content creators.

It’s a win:win:win. Consumers get a great social media experience. Influencers can double down and pay the bills in a sustainable career. Brands still ultimately benefit from a community going to them when they need the right product or service. Without pissing them off with annoying and irrelevant ads.

I really feel like this is the next wave for inclusion. Disabled people can finally be acknowledged as customers. Disabled influencers can lead the way with their thought leadership and creativity. Brands can genuinely embrace inclusion as a way to a new untapped market of under served consumers.

This week I interviewed beauty Instagrammer Tess Daly, lifestyle blogger Ross Lannon and disabled talent expert Kelly Perks Bevington.

All YouTube links are on the guests names. I hope you enjoy the talks as much I did learning from them. It left me feeling optimistic of the future of disabled world changers!