I've been invited to a series of RADAR Leadership days. The first took place last Tuesday. Whilst I consider myself a leader already, I thought it would be a good chance to network and make new contacts. It was.
It's the first "disabled" event I've gone to. I'm still struggling with the idea that I'm disabled. Yes, it's part of my make-up but it's not the foundation, more like eye-liner /guyliner. So it was strange to be at an event where that was indeed our foundation: the one thing that we had in common was that we were all disabled.
And what a range of disabilities. It made me appreciate the advantage of being in a wheelchair: people with invisible disabilities, particularly those with mental health issues, often seem to have a far harder time. I don't need to explain why I'm entitled to use an accessible toilet: people can see. I suppose I encounter a purient curiosity ("how come you're in a wheelchair?") but I don't need to justify certain privileges I might receive.
I got what I wanted from the day: contacts and the possibility of coaching work. I'm keen to work with people who are facing sudden change through serious illness or injury: I've been there, and believe coaching is a useful tool to get people thinking about their futures. But reaching said individuals is hard. Being at the Leadership day made me see an alternative. As part of the Leadership programme, each participant gets to work with a coach over the length of the course. It's my first experience of a disability organisation working with coaches and I reckon it's the way forward. I've asked to join RADAR's books. Now I've got to research who else works in the field...
