Robbie Crow
Strategic Disability Lead at BBC
Community Advocate
I’m a disability inclusion and workforce specialist, and a passionate advocate of the Social Model of Disability.
Although I’ve been blind my whole life, my disability inclusion journey started in 2013 when I discovered the social model, since then I’ve made it my mission to advocate for disability inclusion across our society. I’ve been involved with lots of great initiatives but my highlights include helping to set up a disabled graduate programme in the NHS, redefining the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s mission and culture to underpin both with social model values, launching the first Access to Work stakeholder forum in Scotland, and advising on the accessibility of Operation Unicorn during the mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II.
Since 2023 I’ve been working at the BBC as their Strategic Disability Lead. I oversee the BBC’s approach to disability inclusion across our workforce and strive to make sure it’s representative of the UK population.
Alongside my professional achievements, my other big milestone is being appointed Chair of Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia & Coloboma Support (MACS) at the age of 24. I led the redesign of the charities structure and services to ensure that our members were at the heart of all decisions we made.
I try to use my lived and professional experience of disability to ensure that disabled people are included and represented in a non-disabled world – nothing about us, without us. The biggest advice I can give to disabled people is to be confident in your access needs – we know our requirements best and we should feel confident enough to advocate for the support we need.
I live in Glasgow with my wife, new baby daughter (my biggest and proudest achievement to date!), and golden Labrador retriever cross guide dog, Yogi.
“The social model of disability is the best tool we have to make true disability inclusion a reality. It isn’t perfect but if we unite behind it then it can be a real agent for positive change – ensuring that the disabled children of tomorrow don’t experience the same discrimination that disabled adults of today have endured.”
Disability Power 100 2023 profile information has been self-submitted by the profile subject. Shaw Trust understands and respects that disability and impairment descriptors and language use varies from person to person. Shaw Trust assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or discrepancies in the content of this, or any other, profile page.
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