The DisAbility network supports and empowers disabled* CSP members to reach their potential and is a lead contributor to physiotherapy's equality and diversity agenda.
The DisAbility network is one of three diversity networks, and is open to all CSP members who identify as part of the group, including students and associates.
Membership is on the basis of self-identification and is confidential. Access to details is restricted to those CSP officers who work directly with them.
Our aims
- Enabling disabled members to thrive - normalising disability and promoting disability pride within the profession and educational settings.
- Increase levels of CSP member engagement with the DisAbility network
What we do
Learn from each other
The network allows us to share ideas, and build our understanding of challenges and opportunities we face in a safe supportive environment. It is a springboard to spread our individual and collective learning among the membership and in our workplaces, physiotherapy and the wider world.
Share and support
We share our problems and successes. A key activity for the networks is peer support: members volunteer to be put in touch with others who are experiencing difficulties in the workplace. And when we progress issues, we find sensitive ways to get the message out.
Organise and influence
Together we identify and plan activity that seeks to address discriminatory behaviours, processes and structures to promote equality and diversity at work and in society. That includes influencing change locally and nationally, in the CSP, the profession, the wider health system and government legislation too, working with partners, wherever necessary and possible. We achieve this, in part, by submitting motions and sending representatives to the CSP Annual Representative Conference (ARC) and to TUC equality conferences.
Current vacancies:
- Associate officer
- Committee ambassador
Committee roles
Roles are open to all CSP members (including students and associates) who self-identify as part of the network group. All you need to do is join the DisAbility network first and apply.
Job share is available for each role and length of term is flexible.
Find out more about the roles below or contact the network directly for more information and/or an informal chat.
For details of how the committee is chosen, and to find a copy of our constitution, visit the How we operate page.
Network chair/co-chairs
Term: two years
Responsibilities:
- Lead on vision for the network
- Liaise with key CSP stakeholders including but not limited to: CSP Council, EDB committee and the diversity engagement officer
- Manage the network inbox
- Lead the network’s delegation to ARC, the CSP annual conference, and TUC conference
- Raise concerns of the network with CSP council
- Liaison with other diversity network chairs
- Chair the network’s annual general meetings and network days
Current co-chairs: Greet Janssens and Saadiyah Hussein
Greet Janssens
I graduated in Belgium with a BSC Physiotherapy in 1998. I then worked in private practice for 10 years, sharpening my interest and skills in respiratory physiotherapy with children and adults, alongside neuro development. Following my move to the UK in 2008, I followed my passion in children’s physiotherapy.
In November 2019, I had a stroke in the medulla oblongata, affecting my mobility and causing chronic pain in the left side of my body. After returning to children’s physiotherapy, I realised how important it is to empathise with patients and families, particularly where neurological events changed their lives at birth or throughout their young lives.
My hearing impairment, along with the newer disability, means that I can contribute to the quality of newly qualified physiotherapists with a different ability and to those aspiring to become a physiotherapist. Becoming a convenor with the CSP DisAbility network is helping me to make a difference to the educational, access and application experience, seeking a balance with prospective employers towards reasonable adjustments.
Vice-chair
Term: two years
Responsibilities:
- Support the co-chairs with tasks as capacity and diary allows.
Current vice-chair: Iona Bateman
I'm a BSc physiotherapy student at the University of Southampton who faced discrimination due to a hand disability when applying to other universities. This triggered my first contact with the CSP for support and I joined the DisAbility network as a student officer for a year before becoming vice-chair. I'm also president of the Southampton Physiotherapy Society and Equity, Diversity and Belonging officer for the CSP Student Reference Group.
In addition to my studies I work as an actor for educational healthcare simulation with a focus on EDI, promoting allyship for patients and colleagues with protected characteristics. I'm also interested in entrepreneurship and health technology and currently innovating a device to reduce upper-limb disability post-stroke with funding from my university enterprise team.
I am driven to remove the barriers to the profession faced by many individuals with disabilities and other protected characteristics to ensure our profession more accurately represents the diverse population which we treat.
Communications officer
Term: two years (open to discussion)
Responsibilities:
Increase network profile, visibility and membership and support improved understanding of disability across the profession through network communications across various channels, including but not limited to:
- iCSP
- Frontline
Current communications officer: Rhiannon Kendrick
Events and education officer (x2)
Term: two years
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate and plan network events throughout the year around the EDB calendar
- Support improved understanding of disability across the profession through events and resources
Current events and education officer: Marie-Claire (M-C) Wadley and Sally Kiernan
Student officers x 2
Term: two years (open to discussion)
Responsibilities:
- Speak from a student perspective so that the network’s annual actions incorporate the student voice
- Engage students in network activity
Current student officers: Sofia Stephenson-Bell and Kate Reynolds
Associate officers x 2
Term: two years (open to discussion)
Responsibilities:
- Speak from an associate perspective so that the network’s annual actions incorporate the associate voice
- Engage associates in network activity
- Support the committee with tasks as capacity and diary allows
Current associate officers: Robert Minter (and vacant position)
Robert Minter
I have been a therapy assistant at the Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH) NHS Trust for the past eight years. I was previously in a seconded role as an allied health professionals support worker lead for six months. I am also the vice-chair of the Associates Network, associate representative for the ARC agenda committee, a workplace steward and a representative for the Yorkshire and Humber Network.
Before coming into the NHS, I was a security guard/door supervisor working around the country at various events such as the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, and Glastonbury Festival to name a few.
I have dyslexia, dyspraxia, visual stress as well as being colour-blind (yes I do get asked ‘what colour do you see this as’ or ‘what colours can you see’ a lot!! But I don’t mind as it can be so different to everyone who has it).
I applied for this role as I wanted to ensure the associate membership who struggles with disabilities are represented and have their voice heard.
Remember: just because you cannot see it does not mean it is not there.
Committee ambassador x 3
Term: two years (open to discussion)
Responsibilities:
- Support the committee with tasks necessary for the functioning of the network.
Current committee ambassadors: Graeme Watson and Jasmine Churms (and vacant position)
*Language – how the CSP writes about disability
The CSP acknowledges the social model of disability, which says that people are disabled by the attitudes of other people and by the barriers society puts in their way. We reflect this in how we write about disability and the language we use.
In line with the social model, unless referring to an individual who has informed us they identify under a different term, we use identity-first language such as ‘disabled person/people’ and 'a person with an impairment/people with impairments' within our communications.