Patchworker Spotlight: Gem’s story

Community Stories, Resources and Support, Advocacy and Campaigns, Health and Disability, Students and Graduates, Staying in work, Features, Spotlight Stories,

Patchworker Spotlight: Gem’s story

Gem is a Disabled Content Creator from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Gem kindly spoke to us about her experiences, the growth of her blog, and her thoughts on how employers can make the workplace more accessible.

To start, could you please tell us about yourself?

Hi, I'm Gem. I'm a 3 foot 1 wheelchair-using Northerner working in higher education part-time, as well as creating content. I'm fascinated by people and have made a career out of storytelling people’s assumptions about disability. Additionally, I train people to better communicate with disabled people.

Can you tell us a bit more about your story?

When I was younger, I wasn't quite sure how work would work for me (pardon the pun). Mix that with people staring at me from a young age, my self-esteem was extremely low. It was only when I went to university and met so many different disabled people, that I learned what my key skills were. I also realised the problem was that society was causing barriers, rather than me being different. I graduated from the University of Leeds with a 2:1 in New Media.

After graduating, my first job was an Equality and Diversity Officer role. This was a huge learning curve, and I gained confidence and understanding around where my skill set was (basically, people!) Alongside this, I created a blog, telling stories about how people would react to me and my disability. I would laugh and casually suggest how it could have gone better. Eventually, I created tips and tricks that were shared globally.

I'm so proud of what I've created. It eventually won an award and I developed a business creating bespoke training and providing content for brands. I wouldn't be where I am without the blog - I know that for sure.

Have you faced any workplace barriers due to your situation? Do you think the ‘conventional’ world of work most employers use needs to change?

The main barriers I've experienced are physical and attitudinal. I experience the stereotypical barrier of not being able to get into buildings and toilets. This means that the onus has been on me to organise and prepare. Have a job interview? I better ask if it's accessible and go to the loo beforehand! Secondly, I experience quite intense reactions from non-disabled people. They become nervous, uncomfortable which means I have to use so much energy to “prove” how employable I am.

There are so many barriers I think organisations need to focus on. However, I would say the main thing is to get disabled people into your teams. The only way you will evolve for the better is to include disabled people. That's the only way you'll truly know what you need.

If you could change one thing about the world of work or the way employers saw accessibility, what would it be and why?

I would ask that people anticipate accessibility. You don't have to always know what requirements are needed. However, as long as you know adaptations are probable, you will be so much more welcoming from the start.

What inspired you to start doing the work you currently do?

Honestly - the experiences around me, I couldn't not share what was happening. I knew it was entertaining and that there were subtle lessons people would learn within it.

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt from your career to date?

My biggest lesson is that the people who reject you aren't the people for you. For a long time, I would be so hard on myself and try to be “incredible” to be employable. But actually, when you're disabled it's not just you being interviewed - it's the employer too. They need to suit you, support you and allow you to showcase your skills.

Do you have a favourite quote or personal mantra?

Don't let anyone dull your sparkle.

If you could change one thing about people's perception of disability, what would it be?

That we have interests, sense of humour and bad days (that isn't always disability-related!)

Find out more about Gem’s story:

Gem's blog

Follow Gem on Instagram

Follow Gem on Twitter

Contact Gem on LinkedIn

Published: 20th March 2022

All Tags

Academy for Disabled Journalists Academy for Disabled SEO Specialists Accessibility Accessibility information Accessibility int he workplace Accessibility ramps Accessible education Accessible locations Accessible places Adaptive fashion Advocacy AI All Saints Alt text Assistive technology Autism Awareness Blog Bullying Burnout Business Businesses Cancer Candidates Captions Cerebral palsy Characters Charity Charity sector Chronic pain Closed captions Clothes Clothing Cognitive disabilities Communication Companies Company Company Corner Company culture Confidence Confucius Consultant Consultation Content designer Data talent Diagnosis Difference Digital transformation Disabilities Disability advocate Disability advocates Disability awareness Disability community Disability confident Disability employment Disability inclusion Disability news Disability Policy Centre Disability Pride Disabled Disabled community Disabled people Disabled People’s Direct Action Network Disabled team Disabled-led Diverse Diversity Diversity and inclusion Diversity Recruitment Platform Domestic violence Dysfluency Education Education and resource platform Employment opportunities Empowerment Ethnic minorities Fashion Fashion industry Fathom Feedback Flexible work Freelance Game Gaming Gareth Walkom Garment technologist Gastrointestinal conditions Gem Turner Gender Grant Logan Guide dog Healthcare HR Hybrid working Inclusion Inclusivity India Inspiration Intellectual capabilities Interviews Invisible disabilities Invisible disability Istituto Marangoni Jack Wills Job descriptions Job interviews Job opportunities Journalism Journalists Learning disability Leeds Leeds trinity university Legislation LGBTQ+ Long-term health condition Long-term health conditions Mapping days Matt Pierri Maya angelou Meta Metaverse Migrants Motivation Musculoskeletal conditions National Council for the Training of Journalists NCTJ Neurodivergence Neurodivergent Neurodiversity consultant Neurodiversity space Neurotype Neurotypes New Delhi News Non-profit Novos OBS Partially sighted People Phase Eight Phone calls Physical disabilities Pirate video games Policy Poverty Presentations Primark Processes and systems Public speaking Puneet Singh Singhal Race Raising awareness Registered blind Remote education Remote work Removing barriers Rights School Scope Self-employed Self-employment Senior staff Sexuality Shaw trust Shaw trust power 100 list Sign language Social mission Social mobility Social-emotional learning Social-emotional learning platform Software Speaking situation Speech differences Speech disabilities Speech impediment Spotlight series Spotlight stories Ssstart Staff Stammer Stammering Stories Stuttering Sustainable change Sweaty Betty Tech industry Tech talent TEDx Tesco Think tank Underrepresentation Unhidden Unhidden Clothing Universities Vanessa Castañeda Gill Victoria Beckham Video game Vimeo Violence Virtual reality VR Web accessibility Women Work environment Work from home Working conditions Working from home Youth Zoom Abc Ability Today Access to work Accessibility in the workplace Accessibility test Accessible work Acting Adhd Adjustments Administrative Adrian lord Advice Advocacy and campaigns Allparty parliamentary group for inclusive entrepreneurship American civil rights movement Android Anglonorman App Artificial intelligence Bad grammar Barriers to work Bbc Benefits Blind persons act Blue badge Blue badge service specialists Care Career Carer Celtic languages Center on everyday lives of families Ceo Cfs Chloe tear Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic health condition Chronic illness Commodo aute beatae Community Community story Community, community story, founder, feature, accessible work, disability employment gap, making a difference Companies house Compressed hours Computer science Computers Coronavirus Councils Covid19 Crystal mark standard Deaf Design Dialects Dictionary Digital accessibility Disability Disability discrimination act Disability employment gap Disability rights movement Disability services Disabled peoples direct action network Disabled persons employment act Disabled-led organisation Easy read Edit Tag Test 2 Email address Employers Employment English English speakers Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Epilepsy Equality Equality act Equality and diversity Equality of access Esources, disability, disability services, support services, community story, features, adjustments, social support network Esse vero eum nisi a Eugenics Facebook Feature Features Fibromyalgia First world war Flexi Flexible working Flexitime Flextime Founder Francesco cirillo Freelancing French Gcses Gdpr General data protection regulation Good Good grammar Google Government policy Government support Graduate Graduates Grammar Grammar schools Health Health condition Health conditions Hearing impairment Help And Support Tags History History of language Holistic Ico Impact Imposter syndrome Inclusive entrepreneur network Inequalities Inequality Information commissioners office Information governance Instagram Internet Jacqueline winstanley Laborum Magna moles Language Latin Law Learning difficulties Lexicographers Limited company Local councils Local government Making a difference Marketing strategy Mecfs Medical conditions Medical model of disability Medical vs social models of disability Medicines Mental health Middle english Mindfulness Mlm Mobility issues Molestias quod sapie Multilevel marketing Nam eaque iure aut v National league of the blind Neurodiversity Nihil corporis aliqu Niya Normans Old english Old french Onboarding and retention Online Out of work Oxbridge Parent Passwords Patchwork hub Payment details Planning Planning for work Podcasts Pomodoro Preposition Private schools Psychiatric Psychiatry Punctuation Qui voluptatem debi React Reasonable adjustments Recruitment Remote working Resources Resources and support Rest Retinopathy of prematurity Sales Scam Search engine Second world war Shell shock Slang Sociability Social Cipher Social interactions Social media Social model of disability Social support network Socialising Spelling Spoken language Spotlight stories Standard english Startup State schools Student Students Studying Suffragette movement Support Support services Syntactician Syntax Tag Technology The Disability Policy Centre The elderly Then barbara met alan Trafalgar square Turkish United nations Universal inclusion University University of arts london University of cambridge University of hertfordshire University of hull University of leeds University of oxford Victoria Jenkins Visual impairment War Ways of working West germanic dialects William shakespeare Windsor consultations WithVR Wordpress Work structure Workforce recruitment Working environment Workplace barriers World war one World war two Young carer

I found a job through Patchwork Hub – a senior level position with a leading financial services company. Throughout the process I felt supported by very dedicated people, both at Patchwork Hub and the company, and it was really refreshing to be able to openly talk about my health condition and not feel like I had to actively avoid the subject. Their support was simply invaluable.

Ditte Olsen

Patchworker

I applied for a job through Patchwork Hub and secured employment at a FTSE 100 company. That is so fantastic, not just for my bank account and CV but also my confidence. Without Patchwork Hub – both its accessibility and the support and understanding they offer– this would not have happened for me. A platform taking a proactive approach to raising awareness amongst employers, and approaching disability inclusion in a way where we're not othered, is transformational.

Rock Bell

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub are leading a critical culture change in work and health for employers as we move into our 'new normal'. Bringing together global businesses, charities and experts to create accessible work opportunities for those currently excluded by traditional work practises, and challenging assumptions around a hidden pool of talent.

Lord Dennis Stevenson

As a company committed to diversity and equality of opportunity, we are excited to be partnering with Patchwork Hub and are looking forward to further building our relationship with Beth and the business. This platform allows us to connect with highly-skilled individuals we might not otherwise reach. Patchwork Hub hosts a growing pool of very capable and diverse talent which offers businesses unique recruitment potential, while helping to strengthen a company’s social impact.

St James's Place

FTSE 100 employer

I secured employment with a FTSE 100 company through Patchwork Hub. I would like to thank Beth and the team for helping me through the recruitment process and being there to give advice and support throughout my placement. It was refreshing to be honest about my condition and know that the company was ‘disability aware’ and would be inclusive and understanding too. This meant that I was able to focus on my job, learn from my colleagues and feel part of the team. I would advise others to make the most of this unique platform, its placement schemes and the opportunities they provide.

Ben Pearse

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub is an incredible organisation, making great strides towards bridging the gap between employers and ‘the UK’s hidden talent pool’. This is not limited to the one million disabled people in the UK navigating access to traditional job roles but extends across society to all those facing barriers. Patchwork Hub is where employees, who are experiencing the challenge of skills shortages, can come to unlock this talent pool, equally supporting employers and employees, and enabling society as a whole to thrive.

Q5

Annabel Tonge, Q5 Director (Employer)

Patchwork Hub's work will be invaluable to anyone for whom conventional work is not feasible. Having been suffering with health issues over the last few months myself and coming from a family of carers, mental illness sufferers, and disability, I've experienced firsthand the impact Patchwork Hub has on real lives. As well as offering employment opportunities, the unique offerings of community and the upcoming freelancing platform really set Patchwork Hub apart. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how valuable work-from-home opportunities are, and Patchwork Hub has been ahead of the curve in their aim to provide working opportunities for as many people as possible.

Mia Testa

Featured Patchworker, Oxford University

Lauren Hazel Keane

Patchworker, Digital Marketing

Patchwork Hub is THE next-gen employment platform that's placing accessibility first - something that many companies in the same space should be looking up to.

WithVR

Gareth Walkom, CEO

Working with Patchwork Hub was an amazing insight into a startup leading the culture change in the world of work. Beth is extremely passionate and incredibly knowledgeable, and her start-up is providing critical information for companies looking to become more accessible and inclusive. The world of work has permanently changed following the pandemic, and Patchwork Hub provides a great insight into what the future of work should look like.

Lucas Jones

Digital Marketing Executive

I think Patchwork Hub's ethos is really remarkable and special. Especially during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on. during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on.

Natalie Vriend

Featured Patchworker, University of Oxford

Disability inclusion is not a chore or cost, it's a massive business opportunity. We're so thrilled to be working with Patchwork Hub as a disability-owned business and leader in this space, ensuring we are doing all we can to attract and retain diverse talent.

2Gether-International

Keevin O'Rourke, Managing Director | Startup Accelerator & Venture Fund (Employer)

Patchworker Spotlight: Gem’s story

237

Patchworker Spotlight: Gem’s story