Did you know?
- 83% of people who have a disability or long-term health condition acquire it in adulthood
- Under the Equality Act 2010, someone is Disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial negative affect on their ability to do normal daily activities and lasts longer than 12 months. Many people who fall under this legal definition don't consider themselves to be 'disabled' or may use different language to describe themselves
- More than 20% of CUH staff told us in the national staff survey that they have a disability, health condition or illness lasting more than 12 months
The CUH Purple Network is for everyone with visible or hidden disabilities, physical or mental health conditions or neuro-differences and allies to work together to promote inclusion for everyone at CUH. 'Allies' are people who take an active role in helping CUH become more inclusive for people from particular groups, even if they don't share those characteristics themselves.
Members of the network co-produced the action plan for our Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES), a mandated standard for the NHS to identify and address gaps in experience between Disabled and non-disabled staff at work. You can find out more about the WDES here.
As part of the WDES, network members are involved in a range of projects that aim to improve the experience of Disabled staff at CUH. Some have been paired with members of the Board to be reverse mentors, sharing their experiences of living and working with a disability, health condition or neurodifference at CUH with those in senior leadership positions. The network has co-produced the Purple Passport (opens in a new tab) and the CUH Neurodiversity guide and have recently launched the Disability Champions scheme.
Being a part of a staff network is a great way of ensuring your voice is heard, having an impact and being a part of positive change across the organisation, as well as being a safe space for staff to share concerns and support each other.
