By Catherine Stott, Project Support Officer at Southwark Borough Council
At 21, I didn’t think there was much more I had to learn about myself when it came to my disability. Now 22 and an alumni of Leonard Cheshire’s Change 100 programme, I can safely say that 21-year-old me was wrong.
Change 100 is a programme dedicated to securing internships for disabled graduates with employers who, to put it simply, recognise what disabled students have offer, not what they lack and above all, encourages graduates to realise that their disability is not a barrier, but an asset. The programme not only provides successful candidates with an internship with progressive employers in a field of their interest, but also provides professional development and mentoring. Through a series of workshops and one-one mentoring sessions, Change 100 gives students the confidence and skills to address challenges they may face in the workplace. The programme is as much about personal as it is professional development.
The Application, Disclosing Adjustments & Asking for What You Need
I’m sure many of you reading this will have experienced the anxiety and difficulty that comes with disclosing any adjustments with your employer or university. Change 100 takes away this anxiety. From the first stage of the written application, through to the interview and placement, Change 100’s whole process is accessible with a capital ‘a’, and that includes plenty of opportunities to disclose any concerns you might have about elements of the programme, or things you wish to raise with your employer. Change 100’s support does not stop at the internship, they are with you all the way and are there to help you. Similarly, your employer is there to meet your needs - tell them what you need to do your job. They will know this is your first real experience in a professional workplace, so ask questions and don’t be afraid to get things wrong! Above all, speak to the other interns, because the likelihood is they will be going through the exact same thing!
Change 100 is not looking for students with CVs littered with outstanding grades and eyebrow-raising work experience, it is looking for students who can draw learning from even the most ‘mundane’ experience, be it planning a birthday party, or babysitting your brother or sister; students who recognise challenge as an opportunity for improvement; students who can reflect on their development. The best applications use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model when structuring their answers; make it clear to the shortlister how you contributed to the task and what you learnt from it - make it easy for them, be obvious in your writing. You only have 200 words, so make them count, and above all, answer the question!
My Experience
Securing an internship with Change 100 led me to working in the project management team of Epping Forest District Council, providing my first real experience of how the world of work ‘works’. I owe my current position with Southwark Council partly to the experience I received with Change 100.
What Change 100 has helped me to recognise however, is that thriving in spite of my disability does not mean denying my disability. In other words, it does not mean moulding myself to ‘able-bodied’ standards. Instead means having the confidence to ask for what I need to do my job to the best of my ability. Your disability is not, and never has been the problem, society is.
When I secured the internship with Change 100, my expectations of what I’d gain didn’t extend far beyond employment prospects, work experience in a field I was interested in, and a complimentary confidence boost in my skills. I came away with all this, plus a network of people who I could relate to, an awareness of myself and my disability, and most importantly, thanks to my brilliantly supportive line manager and inclusive team, a glimpse of what our workplaces could and should be. Workplaces that not only recognise the assets of students with disabilities, but work with their employers to understand their needs, and can respond to those needs to build-up their employers and their businesses.
For any student reading this, I imagine, like me, you’ve tried and struggled to access many of the opportunities available to you, in part because of someone’s inability to see past difference. I imagine that you’ve felt that frustration at your inability to do something. Whatever your experience, and whatever level of self-confidence, I cannot recommend the Change 100 internship enough. If you’re thinking about applying, then do it. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.