A day in the life of a disabled businesswoman – in pictures
This is an introductory blog, just to set a bit of context for subsequent blogs.
Having promoted the benefits of employing disabled people for years in my professional role, I ironically became much more severely disabled myself following failed radical spinal surgery last year. Now was the time to prove to the world (but firstly to myself) that a woman who couldn’t sit, bend or lift, and could barely stand or walk, could continue to run a successful business! My condition basically meant I could do little but lie flat for nearly 24 hours a day.
Putting my money where my mouth was, I had my office adapted and invested in loads of gadgets (back brace, crutches, a platform to lie and work from, wall-mounted laptop stand etc), and then tried to focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t.
I may not be able to sit at a desk, but I can:
Negotiate deals hanging upside down on my inversion table (!);
Jane Hatton on her inversion table
Check facts at a height-adjustable desk
Jane Hatton checking facts
Lead short meetings or training sessions with staff and clients
Jane Hatton leading a short meeting
And, mostly, write proposals and tenders lying flat with a wall-mounted laptop stand. I now spend nearly all of my working day lying on this platform using this computer.
Jane Hatton's workstation
Despite some pretty unusual physical challenges, I’m able to continue to run the business for the benefit of its shareholders, three employees, 36 consultants and over 50 clients.
If you are interested in issues around employing disabled people, see here:
http://www.thediversitypeople.co.uk/articles/hrdiversity1/
and here:
http://www.thediversitypeople.co.uk/articles/diversitytraining1/
I’d be very happy to hear about other examples of overcoming barriers to work.
