#15 Beam me up Scotty - an update from Scott

A first solo episode and update from Scott Whitney of All4Inclusion

Scott gives his view on matters such as:

Roe Vs Wade
Facebook
Dunelm (who have now provided an email address)

Scott tells us who is super heroes are and give news on the upcoming webinar Reasonable Adjustments - A Tick Box exercise? Tickets available below 👇

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/326652224597

Scott reveals what he is most enjoying about All4Inclusion and who is dream guests are

Voiceover for intro and outro by Jennie Eriksen | LinkedIn

Music granted free of charge very kindly by Music: https://www.purple-planet.com . The track is called Hope and Inspire.

Transcript

Scott Whitney: 0:47

Hello and welcome to the 15th episode of The All 4 Inclusion pod. Today, our guest is me Scott Whitney. So really today I wanted to give people a bit of an update on how So why should what is potentially the country with the All4Inclusion is progressing. I wanted to give people an update on my thoughts and feelings about some things that are going on around the world. I also wanted to really let you know kind of, I guess a little bit more about about the All4Inclusion story and the wider channel of All4Inclusion if you just listen to the podcasts. There is a lot more to most power the country where people where the most powerful it at the moment and hopefully, we'll be able to add a few more strings to the bow, but I guess there's no other place I can really start than by talking about my frustrations. should be looking at it as an example, to say this is how society should be not in America but throughout the world. And how can they get it so wrong? It just it's just beyond me. I did try to get someone on today from America. So we could we could get the situation on the ground, really over there. But you know, there's lots of it on the news anyway. And it's it's just taken us back years and years and years and, you know, I don't understand, you know, the logic behind it. So the power is obviously with, with the states now, and some states that will make the right decision, some states that are going to make terrible decisions. And, actually, what it's potentially going to cause is, is a lot of sickness, illness and deaths, sickness through anxiety, mental health, through things like the ectopic pregnancies. Death because people are going to go to people not qualified people or who have not the right experience to be able to, to deliver this procedure, or the right equipment. Or the right hygiene, the cleanliness, so. So yeah, so it's not, it's not been a good weekend in America. My next frustration is regarding Facebook, Facebook. So why is it a frustration? Well, you know, as we, as we are new on Facebook, and as we're looking to try to grow our have business on on social media as well and allow more people to know about the work that we do have more people be able to come along to our webinars. Every post that the I try to boost gets rejected. And it gets rejected, because the person's in a wheelchair. The person has a disability, the person has autism, who are in these podcasts. I just don't get it. I just do not see that being inclusive. I do not see that as a sign of accessibility. And to me, that's, that's very frustrating. So So yeah, so that's, that's my next frustration. I'm going to move on very quickly to my third frustration, and it's my third and final frustration. And it's Dunelm in Scarborough. So I've had a message where someone's saying is so sad because so many places are not inclusive, and after a recent trip into this branch, whilst wearing this sunflower lanyard. Do you know what a sunflower lanyard is? Sunflowers lanyard is a sign of a hidden disability. So if you see someone with a sunflower lanyard, you need to you need to ensure that you're meeting their needs, asking them what support you can provide in any way. Absolutely, absolutely terrible service. And we have then the ladies put the post on on LinkedIn copied in ourselves. Now Dunlem have provided two phone numbers, one for the store directly where she had that bad service and one for the head office. So the issue with this is the lady cannot cannot speak over the phone. So what they're now doing there is they put up another barrier. So we've asked for an email address. What we don't want is a group email address where you reply and you get Steve one day, Steve sends out something to you. And then the next day is John, or, or the next day, it's Philippa, coming back to you, because what you're getting is you're not getting accountability of this complaint, and how to make things more inclusive. We've also stressed to Dunelm, to use a platform called Welco ME, or welcome, as it's written, because this will help them provide that service and help give their staff the training. And we've asked on how to provide the lady with a contact email address. And they haven't. So we're still waiting for that to happen, we will chase it up further. But if you're doing a complaints line, or a customer service line, applying for a job recruitment, let's make sure there's more than one method for for someone to contact you. If that person is deaf or if that person is hard of hearing, because that person will have problems with their speech, they have anxiety talking on the phone, that if we've got an email contact there, then that's all we need in this particular situation. So that can be fixed simply. But there's been barriers being put in place. So but it's not just Dunelm let's make this clear is there's a lot of people in that same situation. So another question I've got from Sandra Bentley. Now, Sandra has asked, Do I have a superhero? So what's my answer to do I have a superhero. Well, I'm a fan of Batman. I'm a fan of Marvel. But look, we've got some. We've got some webinars coming up. The next one is all about reasonable adjustments on the 12th of July. It's titled reasonable adjustments - Is it a tick box exercise? The people that will attend will be people with disabilities, and people that follow and support All4Inclusion. The people that need to be attending, and if any of these attend, I'll put them as one of our superheroes, they need to be businesses. Businesses, that know, they're not inclusive enough, know they're not accessible enough. Know that they don't know where to turn where to go. If someone needs a reasonable adjustment at work, they don't know who should have a reasonable adjustment in work. So potentially, these businesses are walking a tightrope? And what happens if something goes wrong? What happens if that reasonable adjustment hasn't been put in place when something goes wrong? Actually, did you know reasonable adjustments are not that expensive. So if any of these businesses or HR managers, team leaders directors come to this webinar, what they will learn is who to turn to how to get it right. Not just for their employees, but also for their customers. So people who come to this webinar, will leave with more knowledge. They won't leave with all the answers, but they will leave knowing where to go to get the answers or they can continue as they're doing. And by doing that, it's saying to their staff who don't have reasonable adjustments in place now that, hey, we don't care about you, or they can rise up, they can come on the webinar. And what they'll do is they will know, for just five pound and 90 minutes, they will know who to turn to, and where to get the best advice to put the reasonable adjustments to look after their staff to put their people first. So, yes, people like that would be a superhero. I also feel people that are generally on the podcast, telling their stories, making other people understand. They're not alone. They two people that I would say, are superheroes. So Sandra, I hope that answers your question. So let's move on now to what I liked most about All4Inclusion and how it's been going in these four months, wow, four months. So I'd say well, you know, I can easily say the thing that I find the most enjoyable thing that I find the most enjoyable by far are other different people that I've met, who I wouldn't have met If it wasn't for All4Inclusion and people who are who are inspiring me every single day listening to stories, people are putting their trust in me as well. So yeah, that is that is really, really inspiring. So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to name a couple of people that I want on on the podcast, and if any of my listeners can, can help me achieve these people on the podcast, that would be awesome. So the first one who I think would be on, I'll just absolutely love to interview this lady I think she's, she's amazing. I hope I pronounced it right, is Shani Dhandi she is very, very inspiring. She does so much. So much work for inclusion and accessibility. So she would be number one or one of the number ones to get on the podcasts for me. Person number two is is JJ Chalmers again, such a brave inspiring figure. The backstory Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely love to have JJ Chalmers on. The next person that I would, I would love to be interviewing is, is someone called Nick Wilson. Nick hasn't got maybe that - you know, he's not as well known maybe as Shaniand JJ, I'd love to have Nick Wilson on I think he's I think he's very, very inspiring. Very, very brave, too. And, this one, I'm sure will happen within the next two to three months. And actually, just to throw it out there and put it in the mix. I'd also like Sean Liddell, to co host that one with me. So, so Sean and Nick, if you're listening, that onewould be absolutely awesome. And then, finally, a guest you know, other other people that I would that I would really, really like to have on on is this Mark Webb. We'd love to have Mark on at some point. So I'm gonna reach out to, to Mark and speak to him. And the, the other person is, is Michael Barton. So, Michael, at some point, again, absolutely love to have you on. Michael has written some books, Michael is autisti. He's written books to help people understand people with autism what an inspiring person and I guess a better I'll carry on as well because even if it's just so he stops messaging me to say when can I come on? When can I come on now we've got that we are going to, to get Isaac on at some point, Isaac, we've got another podcast which will be coming out which is called the 168 factor, which I'm really excited about. And Isaac is opening that podcast. So that will be be really good. And I hope you enjoy that when it comes out as a whole series is on a single topic. And there'll be some analysis in the in the last episode, Isaac is episode one. And episode two will be myself really kind of explaining what 168 factor is. So you might listen to Isaac's episode. And,, and if it doesn't make as much sense that said, you know, the following day out will come the episode which which hopefully will, will make a lot more sense, and then help you support or help support you through all the whole series and first told Isaac about the ones it's a factor on a tram. Two to three months later, or two months, maybe even six weeks later. He's on. We're recording it. Isaac, do you know? Do you remember that conversation we had on the tram? I remember we had a conversation on the tram. That was about as far as it went. But, you know, I did say to him at the time. All I've got in my head is a number 168 A number 168. And that was it. I couldn't explain it any more. But I knew roughly what it was. So coming up webinars wise, 12th July. We have reasonable adjustments - Is it a tick box exercise? So that one is coming up in July. And I'm really, really looking forward to that. We've got Sara Flay, she's going to be opening Karim Samani and then Gavin Neates will be following Sara. And then in August, the August 9th, the webinar is all about Understanding Masking. It's about why how people with autism wear a mask and what it means to them, how they learn to cope with them without the mask. So again, fantastic lineup on that. So we've got David Lee, Silvan Rothenberg and Lee chambers on that one, and that one's going to be August 9th. So I've not put that one up. So tickets aren't available for that one yet, but they will come up soon. And again, completely fantastic lineup. We have our disability and wellness conversations every other every other week. That some of the things that that we can talk about in such a safe place and such a great environment is amazing. And it's a credit to the people that dip in and out. It's a credit to the people that show up every week. It's even a credit to the people who come once and might not come again or might not come again for another month or five or six weeks. But what I love is that every single person comes with a question and then every single person also provides support in the peer to peer mentoring and way that we want it to be and and and I think by providing that support to someone else it it makes him go away. makes everyone that comes go away in a in a in a better mindset. And then what they started the meeting with. So that's really good. I guess really now also want to say thank you to the people who are who are sponsoring, All4Inclusion because we do have some sponsors. And initially, I set out to find 12 sponsors. I found six. Now, if there are businesses that do want to do want to sponsor us, I would absolutely love it if you can contact me, but I've started - No, haven't started, I've stopped, looking for sponsors. And the reason I've stopped looking for sponsors is I have got six absolutely amazing sponsors. So we've got ISO spaces in Cornwall who are modular and offsite construction specialists and what they do is absolutely amazing. Got MOVE their business and personal development company, what they set out to do is, is make better human beings are the people that they work with. They do coaching and they do business and personal development networking as well. We've got EZHR, which makes HR really, really easy and Alastair he's, he's really set out to support small and medium sized businesses. He wants to take you on the smoothest possible journey to get from a resolution and yet I know he does that there's a subscription basis that you can work with him on as well. providing some amazing HR tips regularly. We've got got work brighter and there are a business psychology leadership coaching consultancy, helping business owners and leaders understand develop themselves and their people to help deliver engaged and help them perform better which can be done on a one to one basis, do team coaching psychometric profiling, but it's all about improvement. And that's what that's what they do. We've got Spencer Hayes group, an award winning commercial insurance brokerage. But what I like about about Spencer Hayes is they look to take things that step further. So, you know, if there was if there was a problem with your, with your office, they've got space for you. If there was a problem with with a vehicle, they've got a vehicle that you can use. So that's, that's not common from a broker. And and I think that's, that's something that that really kind of sets them out. And then we've also got the Marlborough hotel in, in north Wales. They handle a lot of coach trips, but they've got some they got I thinks some but it's, it may be only a couple, but I'm not sure. But they've got some really, really accessible wounds. So, so yeah, so they're based in, in north Wales. So, so, if you're looking for for somewhere to go, you know, feel free to give them a give them a try. And what all six six sponsors have in common is that they will want to to improve and develop their own accessibility, their own inclusive driven goals. So, this is why now for me, if I approach another business, I need them to be the same calibre of sponsors as as the six have already got, because because they all do something for their, for their clients. They all go out of their way to make what some times the seemsimpossible, possible they will you know, they will strive for excellence. So, so you'll hear more future podcasts about each of those businesses. It is a quick thank you. It's it's but you will hear more on that on some of the broadcast. And then last but not least. We've got one thing we've got coming up soon which will be hosted by by by Kat Paylor Bent. If you don't know Kat, she's runs a business called Seated Sewing, which helps do alterations and make clothes for people with disabilities and does weighted blankets for people with autism. Now, Kat is going to be hosting. Again, something like the disability and wellness conversations by peer to peer community for all for inclusion for for parents who have autistic children. So that is something to look out for. Potentially, we may have some more news. By the time this podcast gets gets gets put out, but that's only in three days time. So we may not but you will hear about that very, very soon. Very, very soon. What else have we got coming up on the All4Inclusion podcast? Well, next week it's going to be strap yourselves in it's going to be it's going to be a long one with now, the right word to use is former Exeter chief rugby player. Don Armand has won the the English premiership twice with Exeter. He's won the European Cup with Exeter almost almost got to 200 points career points of Exeter. But but not quite. He's coming on. And it's a fairly long one as as we sit down, and we speak about how society impacts people with disabilities. So that's coming up next week. Following that, I sit down with Kat Paylor Bent and Reena Anand to talk, or No, I don't talk I'll keep out of it. What they And then, the week after that, I've got my first co host, who is Lorraine Venables and we talked to Catherine and Reynard will talk about is, is what life is like with with autistic at the Gejja's Woman foundation in Uganda. So, we've got we've got some great shows coming up. So thank you all very much for listening. Please, please, children and, and what society, schools etc. can do better. And please share the podcast with other people you know, who may be interested in listening to it. If you're listening on Apple, podcasts, Spotify, whatever, there's normally a rating system, tick five stars be kind and and leave a review a positive review if you can as well. But But yeah, so like the they give some absolutely great suggestions there. podcast and share the podcast. And I'll be back next week for slightly longer. A bit longer. With with Don. Thank you very much for listening