9th July 2024

Celebrating Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month

For the disabled community, Disability Pride Month encourages self-acceptance and embracing all disabilities. The month is a chance to focus on and celebrate the disabled community and their pride. Alongside the celebration, the month is also a chance to kickstart conversations about disability experiences and issues.

This month has also been described as a month to “accept and honour each person’s uniqueness” and “promote visibility and mainstream awareness” of positive pride felt by people with disabilities. Which is why in this blog, we've heard from people within our VodABILITY Network to hear what this month means to them.

Corrina Judge
Corrina Judge (she/her)
Billing and Collections Lead

Career Story

I started in Vodafone Retail in 2008, had many roles such as Business Advisor, Assistant Manager, Tech Expert, all while having 2 children. Then in 2019, I moved to VBSE to working as a collector for our mobile business customers, then to change to a billing and collections lead in 2023. I'm so thankful to have such a supportive line manager who understands my needs, family reason abilities and my skill set. He understands happy team = successful team. Without the understanding of my line manager and team around me, work would be impossible.

What made you want to be part of the VodABILITY Network?

Seeing the struggles my son had at school, and how the system isn't working. It made me realise I could make a difference to one person by helping on the network, then I have to do this! I love how we are a very diverse network wanting the best for each and every person.

What does Disability Pride Month mean to you?

A time to celebrate everyone and their successes! Every day I see and experience the struggles that invisible disabilities have on people and how it impacts lives. I have a neurodiverse house-hold each with our own little quirks! There are so many struggles but the best bit is seeing how amazing those around me with invisible disabilities are. I have a son who understands he thinks differently and is proud to be different! He was called weird once.. his reply “ I’m not weird I’m Autistic” Disability pride month is our chance to say... WE DO THINK DIFFRENTLY BUT WE ARE PROUD TO THINK DIFFRENLTLY!

Sian
Sian Baggaley
Service Designer

Career Story

I've been at Vodafone for 10 years now. I started in in frontline services in business mobile and built my way up to product and propositions. I'm now a Service Designer, where I design end to end customer journeys and process maps.

What made you want to be pat of the VodABILITY Network?

To drive positive change across the organisation and to ensure my peers are supported and grow our inclusive community to set the standard for the wider organisation.

What does Disability Pride Month mean to you?

Disability Pride Month to me means an opportunity each day to raise awareness from a new angle each day to the various forms of disability including non visible ones. It's also a perfect time to spotlight some of our colleagues and showcase how inspirational they are. Finally there is a real opportunity for education on how we can support one another throughout the organization and promote our available resources.

Dave Wright (he/him)
Senior On-site Coordinator

Career Story

I began at Vodafone in Consumer Care in 2017, I had just enrolled at university as a full time mature student so I needed this job to pay the rent and the bills whilst I was studying. In January 2018 I was promoted to the CEO's Office in Customer Relations, a job I loved and continued to do until February 2021. Unfortunately, towards the end of my degree course, the flexibility with my working hours that had been made available to me throughout my studies was suddenly revoked. I was literally weeks away from completing my 4 year degree course so I had no choice other than to resign my post and concentrate on my studies I graduated in the summer of 2021 and I then undertook a few different graduate roles at other organisations before returning to Vodafone in June 2022. I'm now a Senior On-Site Coordinator at Vodafone Business so I look after the day to day running of everything to do with a major corporate account.

What made you want to be pat of the VodABILITY Network?

I have had some really positive interactions with the VodABILITY network in the past, having been signposted to them by a former Line Manager. When the opportunity to join the VodABILITY Committee came up I jumped at the chance and I was elated to have been successful in my application to be one of the Peer Support Leads. I am passionate about raising awareness about our existence and giving us a much louder voice as a whole just so that everyone knows that we're here and they're aware of the brilliant work we do (and can potentially do).

What does Disability Pride Month mean to you?

My immediate thoughts in answer to this question were about celebrating the community and to allow people to be unapologetically themselves, however it should just be like that all the time without question. I guess Disability Pride month should be a time to highlight and raise awareness of the obstacles that some individuals are faced with, and have to overcome on a daily basis.

Matthew Pettitt (he/him)
In-Life Knowledge Coordinator

Career Story

I started as a dedicated service desk advisor on fixed line and have been a trainer for 2 years - in total, I've been at Vodafone for 3 years.

What made you want to be pat of the VodABILITY Network?

Being able to give something back to try and support other people/families.

What does Disability Pride Month mean to you?

It is the bringing together of different people who all have a different story to tell.

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