The Newcastle Conference
Workshop 3 - promoting change
1. What are the key strengths you think you could bring to the role of Amicus Disability Champion @ Work?
- Good listening skills
- Good communication skills
- Good negotiating skills
- Understanding of disability issues
- Tenacity, don't give up - be like a dog with a bone!
- Tact, discretion, confidentiality
- Ability to network
- Approachable - interpersonal skills
- Enthusiasm
- Good advocacy skills
2. What would you like to achieve as an Amicus Disability Champion @ Work?
- Achieve objectives
- Promote confidence, members and employers
- Promote a high level of consistency - roll out nationally
- Change in society attitude - promotion of equal access and opportunity
- Be recognised and respected as a source of knowledge and advocacy
- The ten golden rules and Two Ticks Plus
3. There are 10 golden rules for Amicus Disability @ Work Champions; here are 3 of them.
An Amicus Disability Champion @ Work:
- recognises the abilities and potential abilities of all workers.
- will ensure that employers enable their workers.
- will help their employer find enabling solutions
How would you make these rules happen in practice?
- Wipe away labels
- Concentrate on abilities and overcome challenges
- Appraisals should include all abilities (skills audit)
- Promote life long learning
- Employers accepting a social model and demonstrating they are effective
- Be persistent, assist with advice and help
- Keep the issue on the agenda - high priority
- Try an incremental approach rather than "big hang"
- Enshrine disability issues into changes
- Share information - eg IT, links to website
- Get information on funding - know someone who has the answer
- Raise awareness
4. To conclude, each of you think of a different word to define an Amicus Disability Champion @ Work.
- Informer
- Optimiste
- Caring
- Mediator
- Reformer
- Well trained
- Diplomat
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