Brooke meets Michael Grimmett, who shares his unique experiences and insights regarding topics such as how he refers to his disability as an impairment rather than being defined by it.

He reflects on his childhood, including attending mainstream school in Saudi Arabia and transitioning to an all-disabled person's school in the UK. Michael also talks about his career choices, which have been influenced by his disability and his passion for supporting others. He shares his journey of becoming an advocate for disability inclusion and providing disability training to companies. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Language is important: The use of language defines us as a society and organisation. It is crucial to choose words and phrases carefully, as they can have a significant impact on how disabled people are perceived and treated.
• Disability inclusion: Companies should strive for both accessibility and inclusion. Being accessible means providing physical accommodations, but true inclusion goes beyond that to create an environment where disabled people feel welcome, valued, and able to fully participate.
• The documentary mentioned in the podcast episode has sparked a divide within the disabled community. Different opinions and viewpoints exist, and it is important to have open and respectful discussions to understand different perspectives.
• Being organised is essential for disabled individuals. It helps in managing personal care, support staff, and other aspects of life. Having backup plans and being prepared for potential setbacks can make a significant difference in navigating daily challenges.

BEST MOMENTS

"I don't really want to be defined by whatever impairment I have. I'll be honest, I didn't even know anything about cerebral palsy until about 18, 20." 

"I think it is always fascinating when talking to people who have a disability, and then they choose their career to also be somehow related to disability." 

"I just think it's the choices that we have and I don't regret my, I don't, I think every bad choice you make, you kind of learn from it." 

"I think the whole disability thing is when I start my sessions, I start with language. And companies always say to me, why is that your biggest section? I think language defines you as a society or as an organisation." 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disabled-and-proud/id1621152878

Disabled and Proud is the show that brings listeners a different perspective on disability. Each week this podcast highlights an awesome disabled guest speaking about their own disability; why they are proud to be disabled and why they are proud to be themselves. 

The conversations in this show will look at what challenges these amazing people face socially, mentally, physically and life in general. This show is raw, open, honest, funny, welcoming and educational. 

Disabled & Proud does exactly what it says on the tin! And whilst we are creating this space for disabled people to be unashamedly themselves, without the need to conform to society, this is also not about toxic positivity. This show will be shining a big, bright light on disability without it being “Paralympic or pity”. 

As you will hear disability is WHOLE, COMPLETE & PERFECT and whilst the topic of disability can be quite heavy - and we definitely don't shy away from the bad days - this podcast is also about having fun too! Our aim is to play a part in reclaiming the word disability - turning it from inadequacy to perfection!

INSTAGRAM! https://www.instagram.com/disabledandproudpodcast/?hl=en: https://www.instagram.com/disabledandproudpodcast/?hl=en