“Through our community we are changing the narrative of what it means to be disabled.”
Able is Imperial’s staff network which exists to provide community for disabled staff, PhD student and allies. They welcome all staff and PhD students who live with a disability and/or long-term condition, regardless of whether they identify as disabled or not.
Able is committed to raising the profile of disability awareness that focuses on the person’s ability and on addressing and removing the barriers that are disabling them – known as the social model of disability.
They act as a space for members to connect and support one another – through networking, events and an informal coffee session every Friday on Teams.
For Disability Pride Month we asked members of Able about their experience of the network, shared anonymously below:
What motivates people to join ABLE?
The reasons for joining Able are as diverse as its members. Those with lived experience of working at Imperial with a disability told us:
“I joined Able to connect with other people and get support with navigating the adjustments process, because I found it confusing when I first started at Imperial.”
“I have two invisible disabilities that impact me at work and joining Able helps me to feel less shame around those challenges that can be more easily masked. Having an invisible disability can add different layer of complexity to navigating the workplace, and even to how I understand my own identity.”
Able is not just for those with lived experience of disability – it actively welcomes allies as well:
“It’s a first-rate way to learn more about the impact of ableism on people with disabilities and how our society isn’t designed for them – and through this understanding, you learn how you can be a better ally.”
“It’s a great place to ask questions if you’re a manager trying to navigate adjustments for a disabled member of staff. We won’t have all the answers, but we’ll try to help you do the best for your staff and signpost you to the right support.”
Fostering a supportive community and new friendships
A key theme from member responses was the supportive community that Able fosters, which encourages belonging and connection across the university.
“The most important thing both disabled colleagues and allies can gain is the feeling of community and understanding.”
“The experience of disability isn’t the same for everyone and we all have different challenges – but it’s been so nice to come together over shared frustrations and offer encouragement to each other.”
“It’s a great way to meet new people who you might otherwise not interact with in day-to-day working, and I’ve learned so much about other disabilities and how to be an ally – even as a disabled person.”
“I have made new friends from different job families and parts of Imperial I never thought feasible – and learnt a lot about disability, neurodiversity and myself.”
“It’s been wonderful joining the Friday morning coffee chats, there’s so much peer support and general encouragement and information sharing from other members. I haven’t experienced a group like this in other places I’ve worked.”
“There are lots and lots of us at Imperial who identify as part of this community in some way. If you are experiencing colleagues without that knowledge or experience, and who don’t have an interest in trying to understand, or you are short on ‘spoons’, it can help to know there is a community who does.”
“I have gained so much from joining Able, including lifelong friendships beyond the organisational boundaries, a community of people who understand me and validate my personal lived experience, significant learning about lived experiences of disabilities I knew nothing about, and a greater appreciation of intersectionality and the impact disability can have.”
Driving change at Imperial
Beyond providing a community, Able works with the university to improve the experience of disabled employees. This is achieved by contributing to university-wide project groups such as the Disability Action Committee, through providing feedback on policies, and by sharing the lived experience of disabled people at Imperial.
“I have become part of a strong community which offers peer support as well as advocacy and activism – the Able network has been instrumental in changes to policy and raising awareness of lived experience.”
”We can’t fix the whole system, but we empower each other by validating each individual experience and providing lived experience knowledge to make little changes in the areas of Imperial you work in.”
“We have a long way to go before disabled workers have the same opportunities and experiences as their colleagues. But Imperial has made some strides and will hopefully continue to do so.”
And the change is not just at a university-wide level:
“I have challenged myself by volunteering to be on the committee and have helped Able to organise events throughout the year. I’ve met incredible people who’ve shared their lived experiences and have found a safe space to explore my own neurodivergence.”
How to join Able
Able is open to all university staff members and PhD students, for those with lived experience, whether you identify as disabled or not, and to allies. To join, please complete this online form (you may need to log in with your Imperial username and password).
We leave you with a final thought from the Able membership:
“Joining Able helps to remove the stigma of disability as well as the misunderstandings around disability support. Through our community we are changing the narrative of what it means to be disabled. We still have a long way to go to tackle ableism, institutional, individual or internalised, which is why it is really important to build a strong disability allyship.”