This episode brings you Be #PeopleSmart Founder, Jodie Greer chatting with Emmanuella Akinola, Chief Operations Officer at Accesstech Innovation, to bust the myths that:

"Working with disabled people limits opportunities,” and

"The African market for assistive technology is too small for investment." 

Hear about how Accesstech Innovation is making a big difference for disabled people in Nigeria and their plans for an Assistive Technology Experience Centre.

Emmanuella shares some statistics on the huge assistive tech market in Africa and why both the technology sector and disabled people are missing out by this not being recognised.

You'll also hear some of Jodie's and Emmanuella's thoughts on how assistive technology can be more accessible for people around the world.

Jodie is now taking a break from the podcast for the summer and will be back in September with more amazing guest speakers. Why not take the time to catch up on any episodes you may have missed?

You can find Jodie and Emmanuella on LinkedIn. Emmanuella is also @inclusiveella on both Instagram and Twitter.

You can also find out more about Accesstech Innovation at Accesstechinnovation.com or on Facebook or Instagram under AccessTechInnovation.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

"Learning disabilities reduce intelligence,” and

"If you are employing disabled people, then you are people smart." 

Hear about Kimberley's experiences of having dyspraxia at school and in the workplace, and the misconceptions people often have.

You'll also hear some of Jodie's and Kimberley's views on the UK Disability Confident scheme, particularly the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

You can find Jodie and Kimberley on LinkedIn.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

"If it says it's accessible, then it will be,” and

"Hotels know whether they are accessible or not." 

Sarah is passionate about supporting people to rediscover their natural brilliance. She specialises in career coaching and coaching people with the challenges of living with a lifelong or acquired disability.

Hear why it's important for hotels to take note of what accessibility really is, and how needs differ for different people, and why never to assume a hotel saying they're accessible means their accommodation and facilities will meet your needs.

You can find Sarah on LinkedIn and via Linktree. If you'd like to reach out to Sarah directly, drop her an email.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

"The same challenge equals the same adjustments,” and

"Personal Assistants are only for people with physical disabilities." 

Hear all about how Nathan enables people and businesses to partner for the best outcomes. You'll also hear about the UK's Access to Work government support scheme, how to navigate it, and where to get more support.

You can find Nathan on LinkedIn and on his website. If you'd like to reach out to Nathan directly, drop him an email. You may also want to sign up to Nathan's mailing list, where you'll receive a copy of his Access to Work pdf document free of charge.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

"Normal people aren't disabled,” and

"Disabled people wouldn't improve my business." 

Hear why Jodie and Sarah feel the word 'normal' should be banned when talking about people and why businesses are missing out by not recognising and harnessing the value of disability inclusion.

Jodie and Sarah also compare notes on their time running a disability network for a large corporate organisation.

You can find Sarah on LinkedIn and on her website.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Madeleine are busting the myths that:

"People in wheelchairs can’t walk,” and

"A child who cannot articulate their symptoms is attention seeking." 

Madeleine is using her lived experience to support young people in Australia. Find out how, the difference Lightening Up will make to many young people, and why Madeleine feels so strongly about educating medical practitioners on advocacy and the harm gaslighting does.

You can find Madeleine on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

If you would also like to support Madeleine to publish her memoires, please check out her Go Fund Me page.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Kaye are busting the myths that:

"Being disabled means living an unfulfilled life," and

"Long-term customers will remain loyal."

Kaye shares her personal experience of acquiring a disability in adulthood, how her life has changed - in ways which may surprise you - and how it has positively impacted the services provided by her business.

You'll also hear why brand loyalty shouldn't be taken for granted and why accessibility doesn't just enable those we may think it does.

You can find Kaye on LinkedIn.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Ishan are busting the myths that:

"Visually impaired people can't use technology," and

"Visually impaired people don't like to shop."

Hear why Travel Hands was created, and why Ishan uses the term VIP.

Travel Hands doesn't just offer an enabling solution for people who are blind or have low vision, they offer rewarding volunteering opportunities and great ways for companies to get involved.

You can find Ishan on LinkedIn and you can find Travel Hands on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Lorraine are busting the myths that:

"It's too difficult to start the conversation on disabilities," and

"Disabled people don't have sex."

This episode is not for the easily offended, it contains some explicit language, but it covers some very important topics.

Find out why it took 3 years for Lorraine to have a cervical smear test, why SWAD stands for Sex With A Difference and why we want to see #4BA trending on socials.

You can find Lorraine on LinkedIn and you can find SWAD via their website.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Rebecca are busting the myth that:

"I don't have unconscious bias."

Hear the truth about the fact everyone single one of us has unconscious bias, why it's so important to manage that bias and how you can do so.

Managing bias can make all the difference to you, your team and your business; particularly when it comes to recruitment and ensuring you enable colleagues to share their ideas and opinions.

You'll also hear why Jodie and Rebecca are kindred spirits when it comes to human centricity and their dislike for personality tests.

You can find Rebecca on LinkedIn and you can find Keen People via their website.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Mark are busting the myths that:

"Disabled people are born that way," and

"Most disabled people use a wheelchair."

Hear about Mark's experiences in work and in life, including being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). We've crammed so much in to this episode, where else could you hear about working with Michael Jackson, wheelchair rugby and suprapubic catheters in less than 50 minutes?

You can find Mark on LinkedIn, Twitter - @Markwebb_, and Instagram - @markwebb99. You can also subscribe to Mark's blog - One Man and his catheters.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Tim are busting the myths that:

"CF is just like Asthma," and

"People with CF die young."

Hear about Tim's lived experiences that lead to him authoring his book - How Have I Cheated Death? - which you'll hear from Jodie is definitely worth a read.

You'll also hear about a life altering drug for many people with CF, which busts our second myth all by itself.

You can find Tim on LinkedIn, you can subscribe to Tim's blog, and you can get yourself a copy of his book on Amazon.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Robb are busting the myth that:

"Learning for adults isn't supposed to be fun."

Hear about why fun, and play, are important for effective learning.

You'll also hear why Atticus Hunter use Lego in their workshops, that Jodie is a big Lego fan, and why Atticus Hunter's logo is a duck.

You can find Robb on LinkedIn, check out Atticus Hunter on their website, and they welcome any questions you may have.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Divinegift are busting the myths that:

"Assistive technology isn't available in Africa," and

"Accessibility can't happen without legislation."

Hear about the solutions Divinegift found to achieve his education, with a visual impairment, with some help from some friends, before he found assistive technology.

You'll also hear why Jodie and Divinegift believe people make far more difference than legislation, and what Divinegift means when he talks about the hearts of men when it comes to societal behaviour.

You can find Divinegift on LinkedIn, and he welcomes connections from anyone who values people.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie is busting the myth that:

"Only disabled people and carers care about disability inclusion".

Jodie shares the answers to questions she gets asked a lot, along with those people submitted for the solo episode.

You'll hear why Jodie is so passionate about disability inclusion and accessibility, how her career in this space got started, and why she created an £82,000+ maturity model and gave it away for free.

You'll also hear how you can make a difference no matter what the size of your company or the budget you have at your disposal.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Jamie are busting the myths that:

"Human beings fit into nice, neat diversity pillars," and

"Being registered blind means seeing nothing."

Hear how Jamie taking ownership of his own disability and neurodivergence has taken him out of a very dark space into a change-making positive one. And how 3 men in his family, with the same visual disability have had very different life experiences.

You'll also hear why intersectionality matters to Jamie, as a disabled, neurodivergent, gay man, and why businesses need to ensure they aren't just looking at diversity in silos.

You can find Jamie on LinkedIn and you can find out more about Inclusivi-T and Jamie's podcast on his website.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Debra are busting the myths that:

"Disability inclusion is difficult to achieve," and

"If a CEO wants disability inclusion to happen, it happens."

Hear why Jodie and Debra say asking the experts for help is a strength and how companies like Be #PeopleSmart and Ruh Global Impact can help you make all the difference.

You'll also hear why the complexities in large companies mean not only does disability inclusion need to start with culture, but it also has to reach the hearts and minds at all levels of the organisation.

You can find Debra under her full name of Debra Ruh on all social media platforms. And you can check out Ruh Global Impact on their website.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and T are busting the myths that:

"Only black people suffer with Sickle Cell," and

"If you look well, then you are well."

Did you know September was Sickle Cell Awareness Months? Possibly not, but like all awareness we're making it count every month.

Not only will you hear more about what Sickle Cell is, you'll also hear from T directly as to his lived experiences and how his illness impacts him on a daily basis.

T makes it clear that grown men do, and should, cry. And, he shares why having Sickle Cell can feel like a very lonely place, even with strong family support.

You'll also hear why summer and winter both have their draw backs for T, and some of the tricks he's learned over the years to help ease his pain.

You can find T Immanuel on Facebook, and also on Instagram - @TBoz999.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Sandie are busting the myths that:

“Disabled people need looking after.” And

“Accepting help is the same as being looked after.”

Hear Sandie share why it's important to know you are enough, and make a statement that Jodie says is one of the best quotes she's ever heard!

You can find Sandie on LinkedIn.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Mandy are busting the myth that:

"A child who gets good grades at school, can't have educational needs”.

Whether you're a parent, planning a family, work in education, or care about the education system where you are, this is an episode not to miss.

Mandy is a brilliant guest speaker, as she shares from the position as a special educational needs (SEN) lawyer, and as a mother of a son with his own needs. Mandy also talks about her son's very impressive mental skill, it's mind blowing.

Jodie will share why she really dislikes the word "special" in SEN, and looks forward to a more inclusive future where education is concerned.

You can find Mandy on LinkedIn.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Tracey are busting the myths that:

"Employing neurodivergent people is all an employer needs to do” and

“Adjustments are too expensive to recruit disabled people”.

As well as busting myths, Jodie and Tracey also ask and answer a lot of questions like:

What does lazy recruitment look like?

Why do interviews often feel like one sided exams?

Why aren't salaries shared for many jobs in advance?

Whether you work in recruitment, or simply work in a business and care about employee experience, this is an episode not to miss.

You can find Tracey on LinkedIn, and check out the Microlink website to see more about them.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our podcast web page.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Robert are busting the myths that:

"Organ donation is all about internal organs" and

"If you have a health condition, you can't be an organ donor".

Did you know, 1 donated eye can save the sight of 8 people?

Robert shares his personal experiences of being in a car accident, resulting in severe burns and a 6 month coma, and then receiving a face transplant from a donor.

You can find Jodie and Robert on LinkedIn.

You can also find out more about Robert on Facebook, via robertchelsea.org, or @robertlchelsea | Linktree.

If you aren't an organ donor, and would like to sign up, do a search for the organ donor register in your country.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Zubee are busting the myths that:

"Disabled people can't get a proper education" and

"Disabled people can't get married or have children".

Are you surprised that these are myths? Or, are you surprised that these myths still exist?

Jodie and Zubee share how they both continue to hear these assumptions voiced in today's society.

As well as setting the record straight on these myths, Zubee also gives us an insight in to what it's like to be a disabled person within the Asian community.

You can find Jodie and Zubee on LinkedIn and Zubee on Twitter - @Zubalicious1.

Find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website.

Access My Events is a unique start up business designed to give disabled people the opportunity to attend events in the UK, that are accessible. Attending events herself, Zubee found that not all businesses know how to cater for everyone. Therefore, her aim is to build partnerships with businesses to enable Access My Events to promote the event to the disability community across social media and through networks. Zubee also works with businesses to enable them to make their events accessible.

Find Access My Events on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Check out Disability Horizons, to learn more about them and to sign up for their newsletter.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Nichola are busting the myths that:

"Ergonomics don't impact younger employees" and

"Ergonomics make running a business more expensive".

So, if your health and wellbeing matter, or if you care about the wellbeing of your employees, find out more about what you can do and how good ergonomics can actually save you money.

You can find Jodie and Nichola on LinkedIn, find out more about Be #PeopleSmart via our website. Check out Inspired Ergonomics to find out more about the work they do and for some free guidance on looking after your back.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

That's exactly what Be #PeopleSmart Founder, Jodie Greer, is chatting about with Carly Cannings, Founder of the Happy Business School.

Jodie and Carly are busting the myth that:

"Happiness has no place in business".

If you manage a team, lead a business, simply think happiness is important, or if you're just intrigued by a fantastic business name, this is definitely an episode not to miss.

You can find Carly on LinkedIn and on Instagram - @thehappybusinesschool.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access, are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Please leave us a rating, we love to know what you think. And why not subscribe? There are even more great guest speakers to come.

Jodie and Steven aim to bust the myth:

"Unless you have pain, there's no need to worry about ergonomics".

So, whether you provide workplace equipment, you find yourself working from a sofa with your laptop on your knees, or if you simply want to understand more about looking after your body so it can keep looking after you, then don't miss this episode.

You can find Steven on LinkedIn, and you can find out more about Bakker Elkhuizen via their website www.bakkerelkhuizen.co.uk.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Jodie and Sophie aim to dispel the myths that:

1. "Including sign language is just too complicated;" and
2. "Including BSL (British Sign Language) means including everyone".

Hear about the astounding number of sign languages in use around the world and the surprising number of years it takes to become a qualified sign language interpreter.

Sophie is a true font of knowledge, so if communication matters to you, you won't want to miss this.

You can find Sophie on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-kang-554771a6/, and you can find out more about Sign Solutions via their website https://www.signsolutions.uk.com/.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

1. "Staff training ticks all the boxes;" and
2. "We can't know what our customers need until we meet them."

Gavin shares how working with military police dogs lead him to create a pioneering solution to improve customer service, and ensures we can give an inclusive first impression.

If customer service is important to you, you definitely won't want to miss this one.

You'll also hear why searching for #Goosebumps is likely to show you a picture of Gavin's arm.

Once you've taken a listen, check out www.wel-co.me for yourself. Even if it's just because they have such a cool web address, although once you know about them you'll no doubt want to know more.

Accessible transcript documents, with thanks to our partners Just: Access are available via our website www.bepeoplesmart.co.uk.

Simon, who is deaf, shares some of his own experiences and how that lead him to launch a very successful deaf awareness campaign, with training, during the pandemic.

Among other things Jodie and Simon aim to dispel the myths that:

"Captions meet the needs of all deaf people"; and

"All deaf people use sign language".

Jodie also talks about a great article by Rachel Zemach, about why she has given up speaking when out with her friends - once you've heard why it was one of a few lengthy articles Jodie read to the end, and then shared, you can check it out for yourself I'm Deaf And I Have 'Perfect' Speech. Here's Why It's Actually A Nightmare. | HuffPost (ampproject.org).

So, if you want to effectively communicate with all of your family, friends, colleagues, employees and customers, this episode could make all the difference.

Amanda shares her own story of being diagnosed and surviving breast cancer and the amazing support she receive both at home and at work. Amanda also gives some great advice, and shares why adjustments are making all the difference to her return to work.

Have you ever seen an email that was sent to 300 colleagues about the sender's breast? Amanda's colleagues have and it's very empowering.

You'll also hear about how both men and women find cancer, and other health conditions, which relate to the more 'unmentionable' parts of their bodies difficult, particularly in the workplace.

Amanda's empowering, confident and positive attitude to work, life, and health, are refreshing and there's at least one lesson to be learned from this episode for all of us.

The two key myths Jodie and Graham are busting in this episode are:

"Accessibility is a cost" and "You can't be creative and accessible".

You'll hear how your can add value, by improving the experience of your target audience, and how accessibility and creativity go hand in hand.

You'll also hear about some great marketing campaigns that Jodie and Graham thought worth a mention, including a play on the safe sex message, a shop with no labels and how to find products you can't see.

You'll hear so much more about Tourette's syndrome, it's not all coprolalia (swearing tics) as often portrayed in the media.

It's great to hear about the added strengths neurodivergent people bring to a team and why neurodiversity is so critical for business success.

You may be surprised by some of the information Paul shares, like why he only buys cheap prescription glasses, how tics can create secondary disabilities and how they can result in pain for several days or more.

If you aren't sure whether you can get active, if you've tried a gym and didn't feel like they understood your accessibility needs or if you want to eat healthier whilst still enjoying your food, then this is the show for you.

If that didn't capture your attention, then do you know why your shoulders aren't like teeth? Ben does.

Jodie Greer, Founder and Managing Director of Be #PeopleSmart, talks to the wonderful Heidi Crowter, Equality Campaigner, about all things that make us who we are.

From equality in the womb, to getting married in lockdown, favourite TV shows and Heidi's Down Right Discrimination court case.

If you want to learn more about neurodiversity, particularly Down Syndrome, this is a podcast not to miss.

You can also hear some facts around UK law at the moment and why Heidi is fighting to change it, to give people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities equality in the womb.