In spring 2014 Result CIC was delighted to be commissioned by the University of Manchester to run their first ever personal development course for staff with disabilities. 16 staff with diverse disabilities took part in the pilot programme which ran from April to June and involved 3 one-day workshops and 2 individual coaching sessions.

The programme focused on personal identity, including disclosure and appropriate communication on disability; communication with others and assertiveness and building effective networks.

The course participants had never met prior to the programme, but through their work on the programme have already established themselves as a network and plan to continue to meet as a group to support and encourage each other. Feedback on the programme was outstanding. One participant described it as ‘Empowering in every way’ , others as ‘invaluable’ and ‘really, really positive’. 100% of course participants rated Achieving Your Potential as ‘Excellent’. 

Result CIC believes that it is important to celebrate success. So on the 10th of July, the University and Result CIC organised a special certificate-giving event for programme participants. We were honoured that Sir Bert Massie, previously Chair of the Disability Rights Committee, agreed to attend as our guest speaker and to present certificates.

Vice President of the University for Learning and Research, and University’s senior Champion for Disability, Professor Clive Agnew led the event. Professor Agnew emphasised in his introductory talk, how important it was for the University to work across the board to implement its policy of ‘zero tolerance’ of discrimination. He highlighted the programme’s strong results, including an average 37% increase in confidence about speaking about disability

In addition to our ‘graduates’ and their guests, senior University attendees included the University’s Manager for Diversity and Equality, Patrick Johnson and Professor Alys Young, Professor of Social Work..

Sir Bert Massie gave a lively talk about decades of work, campaigning for disability rights and equality. This was followed by questions and a discussion of the issues, including ones within the University.

One of the programme participants said they had been ‘blown away’ by the experience. Well we at Result CIC would say the same thing about our work with this dynamic and resourceful group!

We hope to run further programmes in future and look forward very much to this.