The Inclusive Business Group

Thursday is Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

What does accessibility mean to you?

What do you want to see companies doing to improve their accessibility to disabled and chronically ill staff and customers?



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The 12th May is International ME Awareness Day - do you have ME, CFS, Long Covid or other post viral fatigue conditions? Continuing to work whilst managing energy limiting conditions can be extremely difficult, and is impossible for those most severely affected.

“Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is a long-term (chronic), fluctuating, neurological disease that causes symptoms affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems. M.E. affects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK, and around 17 million people worldwide.

People with M.E. experience debilitating pain, fatigue and a range of other symptoms associated with post-exertional malaise, the body and brain’s inability to recover after expending even small amounts of energy.”

Source: Action for ME

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Hi! I’m Carrie, the face behind The Inclusive Business Group.

Ten years ago I was climbing the corporate ladder, obsessed with exercise and almost always running everywhere at 100mph.

Then I got sick pretty much overnight.

It was an ordinary virus, but my lifestyle meant my immune system wasn’t exactly performing at its best. After a few weeks most of the viral symptoms left, but the absolute exhaustion and pain didn’t. By that point I couldn’t work, no matter how hard I tried. Pushing just made everything worse - when I did manage a few hours at work I’d end up having 24hours in bed asleep before trying it all over again.

I was signed off work, became a human pin cushion whilst I was tested and tested and tested, eventually diagnosed with CFS/ME. I stayed off work for almost a year, then had a phased return to work for nearly six months.

During that time I met a group of staff in my organisation who also had Energy Limiting Conditions - others with CFS/ME and some with MS. Together we established The Fatigue Network - an employee resource group designed to support staff with Energy Limiting Conditions and those going through diagnosis.

I’ve been leading that network for the last 7 years, grew it from a few dozen people to over 500, and won awards for the impact and support we’ve provided as a group.

I’m one of the lucky ones, because my health has stabilised at a higher level than it was a few years ago, and I’ve gained a huge amount of experience in building and leading networks.

The Inclusive Business Group is here for small business owners with disabilities, for employees in SMEs which are too small for their own staff networks but need that peer support.

There’s a link below to sign up to the waiting list, ready for the groups launch later this year.

You don’t have to do it alone.

https://mailchi.mp/ef92f130d394/support-group-for-disabled-chronically-ill-business-owners-and-staff

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1 in 5 of the working-age population are classed as disabled
more people are reporting a long-term health condition or disability than did so eight years ago

1 in 3 disabled people feel there’s a lot of disability prejudice.

1 in 3 people see disabled people as being less productive than non-disabled people

The Inclusive Business Group is a new initiative designed to support business owners and employees of micro businesses and SMEs with disabilities or long term health conditions, whether diagnosed formally or not.

Connect with a peer group who understand the challenges you face. Get support through training sessions, webinars and meet ups. Build the confidence you need to flourish in work, advocate for your needs or support staff with disabilities.

Sign up to the wait list to be the first to hear when doors open later in 2023.

Get connected, get supported, get confident.

Hosted by Carrie Pawley, award winning public sector disability network leader.

Find out more about Carrie and connect with her online via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriepawley/

https://mailchi.mp/ef92f130d394/support-group-for-disabled-chronically-ill-business-owners-and-staff

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