Celia Chartres-Aris (née Hensman)

Our ground-breaking report paints a clear, stark and shocking picture of the palpable disparities between Disabled people and non-disabled people in 2024. It paints a picture of how Disabled people truly feel about being Disabled in today’s society. Despite being the largest minority group in the world of over 16% of the global population, over 1.3 billion people, larger than the population of China, Disabled people are being left behind in the movement towards better inclusion, opportunities… Show more

Our ground-breaking report paints a clear, stark and shocking picture of the palpable disparities between Disabled people and non-disabled people in 2024. It paints a picture of how Disabled people truly feel about being Disabled in today’s society. Despite being the largest minority group in the world of over 16% of the global population, over 1.3 billion people, larger than the population of China, Disabled people are being left behind in the movement towards better inclusion, opportunities, participation, representation and the breaking of barriers.

Around every corner Disabled people face multiple barriers to participation and opportunity such as attitudinal, perceptions, stereotypes, and these barriers are at every single component of life such as work, education, community, social and technological are rife and consistent.

Ableism is having a devastating consequence on the mental health, internalised Ableism, opportunities and outcomes of Disabled people.

We cannot sit back and ignore this any longer. We must be forward thinking, proactive not reactive, and from the point of design with the correct and effective consultation of Disabled people move towards a better future for society that is accessible and inclusive of all Disabled people. The cycle of Ableism must be broken. Show less

We are proud to be partnered with both Nimbus Disability and Soda, on ‘The Power of Sport: A Lifetime of Opportunity’.

Together we are journeying through the narrative of sports and leisure, identifying the Barriers and Solutions to improve Participation, Inclusion and Accessibility across the United Kingdom and beyond.

As we celebrate a summer of sport, 12 years on from the London Paralympics 2012, we have collaborated on a shared research project between the Disability Policy… Show more

We are proud to be partnered with both Nimbus Disability and Soda, on ‘The Power of Sport: A Lifetime of Opportunity’.

Together we are journeying through the narrative of sports and leisure, identifying the Barriers and Solutions to improve Participation, Inclusion and Accessibility across the United Kingdom and beyond.

As we celebrate a summer of sport, 12 years on from the London Paralympics 2012, we have collaborated on a shared research project between the Disability Policy Centre and Soda, kindly supported by Nimbus Disability.

We have spoken to disabled people, and those with long-term health conditions, about the barriers that they faced along their journey engaging with sport. Including Participation, Spectatorship, Volunteering and Progression.

We have been able to amplify your voices to create a manifesto for change - across both Government and civil society. Emphasising the need for policy change, as well as major societal shifts in attitudes. Show less

Where's My Minister?: The campaign to ensure The Minister for Disabled People is made a permanent ministerial position, as well as ensuring its reinstatement of Minister of State seniority, which cannot be downgraded to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Over 16 million people in the UK identify as disabled, nearly a quarter of the population, and 15% of the global population. With less than 2% of our Members of Parliament identifying as disabled, the repeated downgrading of The… Show more

Where's My Minister?: The campaign to ensure The Minister for Disabled People is made a permanent ministerial position, as well as ensuring its reinstatement of Minister of State seniority, which cannot be downgraded to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Over 16 million people in the UK identify as disabled, nearly a quarter of the population, and 15% of the global population. With less than 2% of our Members of Parliament identifying as disabled, the repeated downgrading of The Minister of Disabled People role from Minister of State seniority to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and regular periods of having no Minister at all, nearly 1 in 4 people in the UK are not being effectively represented by their Government.

To have no Disability Minister is to undermine the representation deserved within Government for disabled people. To downgrade the Disability Minister role is to make Disabled people feel as though they are not considered equal in conversation and policy production. At less than 2% presence in The House of Commons, the Disability Minister is there to help provide the vital representation needed for disabled people to be seen, heard and not forgotten.

Our Ministers are to speak on behalf of the Government from the front-benches during parliamentary debates and must answer questions put to them by other MPs or members of the House of Lords. The Disability Minister is supposed to; deliver policy across Government, head the Disability Unit, plan, collaborate and create strategies for the future working with the Disabled community and support rights devolution. The absence of a dedicated senior Disability Minister is a glaring omission, leaving Disabled people without an essential advocate within Government. This role is not just symbolic; it has practical implications for policy-making and ensuring that our needs are considered in all aspects of governance Show less

Access2Funding is a social enterprise founded and led by disabled entrepreneurs.

Through policy and capacity development, capturing never- before-seen data and analysing the barriers faced by those we serve, we are working to improve the outcomes of disabled and neurodiverse entrepreneurs in the venture ecosystem. Access2Funding challenges the continued underestimation of the value and potential of disabled-led innovation. Through our work, we are providing ground-breaking business cases… Show more

Access2Funding is a social enterprise founded and led by disabled entrepreneurs.

Through policy and capacity development, capturing never- before-seen data and analysing the barriers faced by those we serve, we are working to improve the outcomes of disabled and neurodiverse entrepreneurs in the venture ecosystem. Access2Funding challenges the continued underestimation of the value and potential of disabled-led innovation. Through our work, we are providing ground-breaking business cases for the investment community to improve systems and processes that will unlock billions in currently untapped returns, all whilst growing a community of disabled founders smashing the stigma around our capability through telling our stories for the very first time.

Our work centres around supporting investors to improve deal flow accessibility in three key areas: language, experience and data. Disabled entrepreneurs face a backdrop of palpable disparities, inaccessibility and impenetrable barriers to participation, opportunity and engagement when seeking investment.

By working with Access2Funding, investors send a clear, succinct, and powerful message to disabled entrepreneurs—a message of genuine commitment to access, diversity, and inclusion, now more crucial than ever as the world wakes up to the incredible potential of #DisabledExcellence in the founder community. Alongside early-stage investors, operational policy leaders and global allies and supporters, we will unlock opportunities, empower disabled entrepreneurs, and shape a more inclusive and prosperous venture ecosystem for all.

The time for Access2Funding is now. Show less

The campaign committed to transforming opportunities and outcomes for disabled entrepreneurs, improving equitable investment in disabled-owned and led businesses.

Alongside Clu, we are the co-founders and research partners for #Access2Funding, the campaign committed to transforming opportunities and outcomes for disabled entrepreneurs, improving equitable investment in disabled-owned and led businesses.

Disabled entrepreneurs face a backdrop of palpable disparities… Show more

The campaign committed to transforming opportunities and outcomes for disabled entrepreneurs, improving equitable investment in disabled-owned and led businesses.

Alongside Clu, we are the co-founders and research partners for #Access2Funding, the campaign committed to transforming opportunities and outcomes for disabled entrepreneurs, improving equitable investment in disabled-owned and led businesses.

Disabled entrepreneurs face a backdrop of palpable disparities, inaccessibility and barriers to participation and opportunity when seeking investment. Backed by investors and leading disability-focused organisations, committed to improving the equity of disabled communities. Access2Funding is pulling together disabled community's entrepreneurs for the first time to achieve three fundamental aims. Collect ground breaking data on the barriers to disabled entrepreneurs growing their business. Work with the global investment community to create more equitable support for disabled founders. Grow a community of disabled founders and smashing the stigma around capability through storytelling. Show less

After speaking to past and present disabled students, of various ages with differing qualifications, as well as parents, carers and guardians, we have compiled an overview of the current education system, its benefits and its pitfalls, and how attitudes have changed over time in regards to the support, opportunities and development that disabled students have been given in comparison to their peers.

In collaboration with The Shaw Trust, in celebration of The #DisabilityPower100, we are drawing a spotlight on the importance of ‘The Power of Diversity’. The Power of Diversity report draws the key themes of the importance of identity, language, intersectionality, allyship, community and influence.

Collaborating to highlight the strengths of disabled people, and people with long term health conditions, breaking outdated stereotypes and celebrating the pioneers, change-makers, and… Show more

In collaboration with The Shaw Trust, in celebration of The #DisabilityPower100, we are drawing a spotlight on the importance of ‘The Power of Diversity’. The Power of Diversity report draws the key themes of the importance of identity, language, intersectionality, allyship, community and influence.

Collaborating to highlight the strengths of disabled people, and people with long term health conditions, breaking outdated stereotypes and celebrating the pioneers, change-makers, and influencers opening doors for future generations. Show less

We are proud to be the research partner for the creation of a global network, where investors and disabled entrepreneurs can connect, capturing data, creating visibility and opportunity for disabled founders.

We are delighted to introduce #ACCESS2FUNDING - Investing in Disabled Entrepreneurs alongside, Clu, The Valuable 500, Meaningful Business, Disability Rights UK, 2Gether International and other disabled entrepreneurs, as we capture vital data to improve investment opportunities for… Show more

We are proud to be the research partner for the creation of a global network, where investors and disabled entrepreneurs can connect, capturing data, creating visibility and opportunity for disabled founders.

We are delighted to introduce #ACCESS2FUNDING - Investing in Disabled Entrepreneurs alongside, Clu, The Valuable 500, Meaningful Business, Disability Rights UK, 2Gether International and other disabled entrepreneurs, as we capture vital data to improve investment opportunities for disabled founders and entrepreneurs.

The global lack of verified and actionable data has a significant role to play in why disabled entrepreneurs are missing out on investment. To date, we have found no captured data on how many disabled entrepreneurs are being invited to pitch, and how much funding is invested in disabled entrepreneurs and their businesses. We are engaging the global Investment community in offering greater and more equitable support to disabled founders and their companies, collecting data on the current barriers disabled founders face to growing their businesses.

The lack of opportunity for disabled entrepreneurs and founders has gone unchallenged for too long.

This is the starting point. Show less

‘Breaking Down Barriers: The Importance of Representation’ for education and employment, highlighting the importance of effective consultation, representation, and disabled representation at the heart of decision making processes ensuring that as a society we are operating with the correct mechanisms for the 20% to reach their full potential.

Rightly given the name ‘The Mother of All Parliaments’, the United Kingdom is home to one of the oldest democracies in the world, the very concept of modern Parliamentary democratic Government was itself developed in the Kingdom of England in 1688. The current Cabinet of Her Majesty’s Government and the current Parliament of the UK is the most diverse in Britain’s history. However disabled people are still alarmingly absent. Disabled people, despite being one of the largest minority groups of… Show more

Rightly given the name ‘The Mother of All Parliaments’, the United Kingdom is home to one of the oldest democracies in the world, the very concept of modern Parliamentary democratic Government was itself developed in the Kingdom of England in 1688. The current Cabinet of Her Majesty’s Government and the current Parliament of the UK is the most diverse in Britain’s history. However disabled people are still alarmingly absent. Disabled people, despite being one of the largest minority groups of the UK, have for too long been shockingly under-represented throughout our political system, at both a local and national level.

This paper concludes that under-representation of disabled people in political life is often a product of the environments in which people are working. There are simple and effective solutions, to tackle systematic and intrinsic barriers, that must be enacted by both Political Parties and the Government to see a real and tangible shift in the makeup of our political system and increase the representation of disabled people at all levels of public and political life. Show less

The world around us is changing, with technological, societal and environmental shifts reshaping how organisations are engaging with their people, clients and communities. Our tailor made services allow organisations to thrive, utilising talent that mirrors the complexity and diversity of the world in which it operates, unlocking the power and potential of all people to improve your organisational output, productivity, income streams and close your potentiality gap. We work with organisations… Show more

The world around us is changing, with technological, societal and environmental shifts reshaping how organisations are engaging with their people, clients and communities. Our tailor made services allow organisations to thrive, utilising talent that mirrors the complexity and diversity of the world in which it operates, unlocking the power and potential of all people to improve your organisational output, productivity, income streams and close your potentiality gap. We work with organisations, through bespoke designed service provision, to increase their proficiency and global reach with private, public and third sector organisations through improvements in inclusion and accessibility. Show less