Resources for disabled staff
How to contact the Disability Advisor for Staff
Emma Woodward Emma.Woodward@manchester.ac.uk in the Disability and Advisory Support Service (DASS) is the Disability Advisor for University of Manchester staff. Van Hoang van.hoang@manchester.ac.uk is the Assistant Adviser for staff. To book an appointment with DASS by telephone: 0161 306 7512 (x57512 from an internal phone), email: dass@manchester.ac.uk or fax: 0161 275 7018.
Louise Pepper-Kernot Louise.Pepper@manchester.ac.uk (Manager of DASS and UMAC) can also deal with staff enquiries/issues.
Referring Staff to DASS
If a member of staff discloses a disability to you, or you become aware that they have a disability, please ensure that you ensure you discuss a referral to the DASS staff service. Information and guidance can be found via the link below:
Togetherall
Togetherall (previously Big White Wall) is an anonymous and totally confidential free online mental health and wellbeing resource.
How to sign up
Go to the Togetherall website.
Click on 'join us' and under 'organisation' select Universities and Colleges. Enter your university e-mail address. You'll then be asked to create an anonymous username for your account.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has a broad remit which includes protecting people against discriminatory treatment. They are the regulatory body responsible for enforcing the Equality Act.
Disability advice and guidance
- Helpline
The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) runs a helpline for individuals seeking information or assistance on issues relating to equality and human rights.
To call EASS for advice and support on discrimination call 0808 800 0082
WATCH: Dr Warren Mansell on mental health
Dr Warren Mansell, Reader in Clinical Psychology in the School of Health Sciences, speaks to Gemma Dale, Wellbeing Manager, about mental health while we are staying at home.
Kanopy Streaming
University Staff have access to hundreds of disability related documentaries and films via Kanopy Streaming.
Podcasts
The Division of Alumni Relations have a regularly updated podcast series and some of these may be of interest to the group:
Trishna Bharadia who is an Outstanding Alumni Award winner. Trishna talks about living with MS and her passion for disability advocacy.
National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN)
The National Association of Disabled Staff Networks connects and represents disabled staff networks from universities, colleges.
- National Association of Disabled Staff Networks disability discrimination quiz
Do you have a disability or long-term health condition? You might be experiencing discrimination at work without realising it. Find out if you might be experiencing disability discrimination at work and what to do about it with this quiz. The Disability Discrimination Quiz was developed by researchers from Cardiff University and is based on robust academic research on ill-treatment at work.
Screen-reader accessible version
Professional/Personal Coaching and Development
If you want a mentor
- Staff can join the Manchester GOLD mentoring scheme as a mentor or mentee. The scheme matches mentees with appropriate mentors from around the University. Matches can be made based on a number of criteria including disability.
- Achieving Your Potential is an externally led six-day development programme for members of University staff, at all levels, with a disability. The programme is specifically designed for disabled staff and delivered by people with impairments from Result CIC. It is run through the Staff Learning & Development Team, extension 52525.
Wellbeing Rooms and Active Manchester
These are located in the Simon Building (Building 59 on the Campus Map). They are fully accessible and offer great spaces for activities.
Full details can be seen on the Counselling Services Website and the Wellbeing Rooms Website.
For activities on campus and advice for staff working at home, Disability Rights UK have partnered with Sport England to produce a range of resources to support people with disabilities stay active. You can access this growing catalogue of resources on their website through Resources - Get Yourself Active
Direct Enquiries
Looking for an accessible venue? Direct Enquiries is a handy website for information on venues across the country.
The AccessAble App. Manchester
The University has been working in partnership with DisabledGo to launch a new app to provide detailed access information to all University buildings.
These access guides include all the facilities on campus, including halls of residence, cafes, lecture halls, toilets and bars from a pan disability perspective. Every venue is visited and assessed in person by a highly trained DisabledGo surveyor.
The AccessAble Uni of Manchester app offers some of the best features for mobile access, which include:
- AccessAroundMe – Instant detailed access information to places to visit across the University campus at the touch of a button. Each detailed access guide has information about, directions, ramps, lifts, accessible toilets and much more!
- Find A Loo – Highlights the closest accessible toilet on campus to the user’s current location, and gives precise details of the facility.
- MyWayToGo – The world’s first integration between mobile access information and maps, users can now locate and get directions directly to their chosen accessible place on campus.
- FindMeNow – AccessAble has a built in emergency locator that sends the GPS location of the user, directly to their selected emergency contact via email or SMS.
- AccessMyWay – Enables the user to filter results to match their specific access requirements, such as accessible toilets, car parking, changing places and hearing assistance.
- Mobile screen reader compatible – AccessAble is compatible with Apple’s VoiceOver software and Android’s Talkback, making all the access information accessible.
The App can be accessed here: AccessAbleApp
Blog on Video conferencing - Good practice guidelines
The pandemic has forced many of us to rely on video conferencing software and we would like to suggest how to make these online interactions easier, more accessible and more inclusive.
External Training
Disability Confident are offereing FREE online seminars covering a range of topics during lockdown. YOu can access the full range using the link below;