Harnessing the Power of Disability with Chris Jay

Lucinda talks with Chris Jay, CEO of Bascule Disability Training, about transforming workplace cultures around disability. Chris draws from his personal experiences as a wheelchair user managing anxiety and depression to challenge negative stereotypes and explain how organisations can authentically support neurodiverse and disabled employees. By focusing on outcome-based performance rather than rigid traditional processes, Chris sheds light on why accessible recruitment, open communication, and proactive adjustments ultimately boost overall productivity and benefit everyone in the organisation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Effective training must shift disability awareness away from being just an HR compliance issue and toward being an inclusive cultural norm that boosts overall productivity.

The majority of discrimination stems from societal ignorance and a lack of understanding, rather than malice, making proper education vital.

True inclusion means organisations proactively ask prospective and current employees about their needed adjustments rather than forcing individuals to self-disclose under fear of bias.

Modern businesses should evaluate employees by the quality of their work output and outcomes rather than micromanaging the specific physical locations or processes used to complete it.

BEST MOMENTS

"Sixty-seven percent of the British population feel uncomfortable talking to people with disabilities, so in my view, the drawbridge is up. My job is to bring it back down."

"We can never train people to deal with every possible permutation of disability... Our job is to create a culture where it's okay to talk about your needs."

"The psychological difference of the business going out to you first and saying, 'Hey, we're an inclusive organisation. How can we help you perform at your best?'—that really is everything I believe in."

"Look at the outcome of the work and not the process that gets the work done."

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