Dr Shani Dhanda, a regular on Loose Women and Rip Off Britain, campaigner and businesswoman, said:“I really hope that non-disabled people are taking note and stop having low expectations of us, because we are flipping amazing!”
The number two spot was taken by adaptive fashion designer Victoria Jenkins, who has been featured in Vogue and showed her collection at London Fashion Week.
While number three was taken by comedian Rosie Jones, who caused controversy earlier in the year with her documentary exploring the online abuse faced by disabled people.
While the top three spots were taken by women, the top ten also included Cambridge academic Jason Arday and Paralympian, surgeon and first disabled astronaut John McFall.
The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker MC-ed the sometimes-raucous gala event in Wembley at which the winners were celebrated.
Alex said: “It was a pleasure to be number one on the list in 2018.” “Apparently you can’t win it twice … got nothing to compete for now!”, but added “It’s also great to see Shaw Trust helping to spotlight the incredible achievements and contributions disabled people are making across the UK.”
The 100 finalists were selected by an independent judging panel from more than 1,500 public nominations.
Speaking about the winners, the chair of judges, BAFTA Trustee, Andrew Miller MBE, commented: “The Disability Power 100 not only recognises difference, perseverance and hard work, the list also celebrates the positive benefits that diversity and greater equality bring.”
The event attracted significant sponsorship, demonstrating the importance that huge corporations place on disability inclusion, and their commitment to making change happen.
The following images can be used alongside publication of this press release
Notes to Editors
Shaw Trust
Shaw Trust’s mission is to help people into good work – work that is satisfying, rewarding, purposeful and has opportunities for progression.
Shaw Trust was founded in 1982, and now supports people across England, Wales and Scotland.
In 2022, Shaw Trust supported 335,000 people, in areas such as health and wellbeing, employability, and education and skills.
At the Shaw Trust Foundation, we’re tackling the disability employment gap by demanding that the strengths and talents of disabled people are recognised and that society is inclusive.
Disability Power 100
The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 recognises disabled individuals and disabled-led organisations who have had significant impact and success in the past 12 months.
It amplifies the achievements of disabled people, and promotes representation and inclusion.
Differently Enabled – Visual Arts, Fashion and Design sponsor
Google – Media and Publishing sponsor
Iconi Software – Digital and Tech sponsors
Lloyds Banking Group – Business and Finance sponsors
Nationwide – Community Advocate sponsors
Nimbus Disability – Sport sponsor
Xerox – Science and Engineering sponsor
Key disability stats
1 in 5 of the working age population are disabled
78% of people acquire their disability or health condition aged 18+
It is estimated that 70%+ of disabilities are invisible.
According to government figures the disability employment rate has increased by 9.2 percentage points from 43.4% in July to September 2013 to 52.6% in July to September 2022
Andrew Miller MBE, chair of Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 judging panel
Shaw Trust is thrilled that Andrew Miller MBE and BAFTA trustee has agreed to chair the judging for the Disability Power 100 2023. Previously recognised for his outstanding achievements within the Disability Power 100 in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Andrew will lead the independent panel of 22 judges.
Career success
Andrew has an impressive history of advancing disability access and inclusion having challenged perceptions of disability throughout his 35-year career, starting as one of the first disabled presenters on British television. Now influencing change behind the scenes, Andrew works with some of the biggest cultural brands in the UK to improve access and to identify new opportunities for disabled people across the creative industries. His current portfolio of roles includes UK Arts Access Champion – supporting the delivery of a national arts access scheme for audiences, Creative Director of Trinity College Oxford, National Council member of Arts Council England, Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Trustee of BAFTA and he has just stepped down as Chair of the influential BFI Disability Screen Advisory Group after five years in post.
In 2020 Andrew co-founded the UK Disability Arts Alliance #WeShallNotBeRemoved, where he developed the Seven Inclusive Principles which helped shape the cultural sector’s pandemic recovery. In 2021 Andrew was recognised in the New Year Honours list for his for services to disabled people in the cultural industries.
Recognising the disability community
Speaking about becoming chair of the independent judging panel for the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100, Andrew said: “Alongside the pride I feel in being asked to chair the judging this year is my commitment to ensuring the Disability Power 100 continues to recognise the huge achievements of my peers in the disability community.”
Demanding better representation
Chair of BAFTA, Krishnendu Majumdar, said: “Andrew has been instrumental in challenging the screen industries to improve disability representation, and as a BAFTA trustee, his influence and expertise has enabled our organisation to be more inclusive for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent members and practitioners. With his vast experience in the arts and television industries, I can’t think of anyone better to recognise and champion changemakers across all sectors deserving of a place on the Disability Power 100 2023.”
Sara Allen, Shaw Trust Foundation Director, said: “I am delighted Andrew, as one of our most recognised Disability Power 100 alumni, is this year’s Chair of Judges. His commitment to demanding better representation, challenging physical and cultural barriers and opening up opportunities for disabled people, makes him the perfect choice to identify and champion the 100 disabled people and organisations influencing positive change across the UK.”
2023 judging process
This year, the judges face their steepest challenge yet, with double the number of nominations as last year. They will judge the 1,519 nomination entries based on the impact and change the nominee has created, how much positive influence they have and how innovative they are as a disability changemaker.
All of the judging panel have close, personal experience of disability, understanding the ingenuity and entrepreneurial approach needed by disabled people and organisations in an inaccessible world.
Shaw Trust, the Disability Policy Centre and the All Party Parliamentary Group are set to host a roundtable event in Westminster this week. Its aim is to influence the direction of policy and public opinion around the issues of diversity and inclusion.
This crucial debate aims to influence the direction of policy and public opinion around the issues of diversity and inclusion.
The debate, called ‘The Power of Diversity’, will involve six prominent people who campaign for the rights of disabled people.
They include TV presenter and disabled advocate Sophie Morgan and MP for Battersea, Baham and Wandsworth Marsha De Cordova.
The chief executive of Disability Rights UK Kamran Malik and disability rights and BAME rights champion Kush Kanodia will also be taking part.
They will be joined by barrister John Horan who specialises in anti-discrimination work and employment law and Shani Dhanda, an award-winning disability specialist.
Clare Gray, Organisational Lead for Disability Advocacy and Accessibility with Shaw Trust, said: “This is a really important debate on how we can take the needs of diversity and inclusion forward.
“As a society we have put physical and sometimes metaphorical ramps in place, but we need now to win the hearts and minds of more people to ensure disabled people have equal rights and status not just in theory but in reality. There is still a lot of work to be done.”
The debate, which is being hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Disability, comes less than 12 weeks before Shaw Trust reveals its Disability Power 100 list for 2022.
This annual award celebrates disabled people and disability led organisations who are influential in their fields
Creating change is what drives Shaw Trust to produce the Disability Power 100. By showcasing the capabilities and strengths of Disabled People, we help shatter negative perceptions of disability and expose the benefits of accessibility and inclusion.
The annual Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 celebrates the most influential disabled people in the UK, nominated by the public and judged by an independent panel. Nationally and internationally recognized, it is the only campaign that shines a light on Disabled People at the top of their game and in positions of influence across all sectors of society.
More than 20% of people have an impairment and too often society sees disability before capability, unintentionally excluding Disabled People, muting their impact and limiting inclusion. Disabled people navigate an inaccessible world, equipping them with unique perspectives, expertise and experience that is often overlooked.
The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 celebrates success, inclusion and advocacy. It highlights the pioneers, the changemakers and influencers opening doors for future generations. Paving the way for Disabled People, families, employers, organisations and governments to break down prejudice and work towards the creation of a fairer, more inclusive world.
Every day of every year, there is incredible work going on to improve the lives of disabled people. Nominating for the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 is an opportunity to recognise someone for their work in challenging and changing perceptions of disability. This could be in their local community, changing workplace culture to changing policy at the very top, it may be for other reasons – it all counts! If you know someone who fits the bill, nominate them now: https://disability100.azurewebsites.net/nominations/
Even though a fifth of the UK’s population has a disability or impairment, there is still a lack of representation when it comes to both fiction and non-fiction works that tell the stories of disabled people. This has been changing little by little and, fortunately, more books centered on the disabled are being published. Some are even widely recognized. Given this, it’s time we highlight the best ones around. Here are our five favorite audiobooks on disability empowerment.
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong
Disability Visibility by activist Alice Wong has brought together a collection of personal essays written by persons with disabilities that celebrates and documents the culture. The stories are inclusive of people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures. Moreover, it also reflects the diversity of its contributors’ disabilities, providing a wide range of experiences and perspectives. It’s the first, and hopefully not the last, on-paper offshoot of Wong’s Disability Visibility Project.
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
In this text, Amanda Leduc uses the lenses of fairy tales and examines how the stories we have grown up with have influenced how society views disabilities. Her work highlights how people with bodily differences are often represented as villains, which does not help with promoting equality in society. The audiobook Disfigured on Scribd reshapes the tales and contrasts them against stories we wish we had, encouraging us to forge new stories of our own.
Bellwether Award-winner Susan Nussbaum writes a fictional tale revolving around the lives of a group of typical teenagers meeting their coming-of-age years — except they live in an institution for juveniles with disabilities. Even so, friendships are still forged, trust is built, rules are broken, and love blooms. This work challenges our notions on what it means to be disabled in an authentic story told in voices that resound with humor and spirit. The Hollywood Reporter details that Good Kings, Bad Kings will soon be adapted on Netflix by Jim LeBrecht, the long-time disability rights activist.
The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me by Keah Brown
In this memoir, author Keah Brown shares the ups and downs of being a bisexual, Black, disabled woman. A writer-activist with cerebral palsy, she is widely known for creating the popular hashtag #DisabledAndCute, and has encouraged many to follow suit and celebrate their lives. The best part is that she reads the audiobook version of her work herself, which makes the experience much more personal and uplifting.
Crippled: Austerity and the Demonisation of Disabled People by Frances Ryan
Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist and a part of the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 2021. Crippled, which centers on life for disabled people in Austerity Britain, is critically acclaimed and has even been shortlisted for the Bread and Roses awards 2020. Moreover, Frances Ryan is an icon whose work has taken her to the halls of the Woman of the World Festival, as well as BBC’s Woman’s Hour and The World Tonight.
Hopefully, we’ve encouraged you to go pick up your own copy of these inspiring titles. Through reading these books, you are actively playing a part in raising awareness for persons with disabilities. That said, let’s continue to share the narratives of the disabled, and promote representation of disability in books today.
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