Hi, my name is Wayne Chapman and I work in the recruitment team at SeeAbility. I’ve been blind since birth, but it’s never stopped me from living life to the full. I’ve had a variety of jobs and enjoy a busy and fulfilling personal life too.

I also have the privilege of co-chairing SeeAbility’s Disability Network alongside my colleague Rebecca Chivers. Rebecca has been deaf since birth and joins the meetings with the support of online British Sign Language interpreters.

Our Disability Network is for anyone working or volunteering at SeeAbility. It’s a space to learn more about some of the barriers that people with disabilities can face in everyday life - for example, finding employment, dealing with outdated assumptions, using technology, or forming long-lasting relationships and friendships.

The network was created as part of SeeAbility’s Equity, Diversity and Belonging policy, because we believe everyone should be fully represented and listened to. We work alongside other colleague-led networks at SeeAbility that focus on race equity and LGBTQ+ inclusion.

We meet every two to three months and always make sure our meetings are relevant and interesting. We might focus on a particular disability and invite a person with lived experience to share their story, or we’ll talk about something in the news that’s affecting people with disabilities like proposed changes to welfare and benefits.

At SeeAbility, we support people who have learning disabilities or autism, who may also have sight loss and the network is here to help everyone understand more about each other’s experiences and share knowledge in a supportive space.

I really enjoy being part of the network and this extra part of my role. Disability Pride Month is a good time to reflect on the power of representation and why it matters that lived experience shapes the work we do. I’m proud to be part of a charity that gives people a platform to speak, be heard, and drive change and I’m excited to see what we can do next.