Disability is a diverse human experience. For example, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities definition is broad enough to cover people with a range of common conditions from depression, cancer, dyslexia, arthritis, hearing and sight loss and autism.

People with different health conditions and disabilities will often share many of the same experiences in terms of how people may view them. For example we often hear how the ‘soft bigotry of low expectation’ is the pervasive common denominator and while not everyone will need a workplace adjustment/accommodation, some will.

Yet, not everyone identifies as having a disability or enjoys the language of disability and let’s face it, it’s a human experience that some would say that they would rather not have had.

Because of this, it can be challenging for disability ERG/Network leaders to create community and establish structures that serve the interests of colleagues with disabilities and long-term conditions regardless of how they identify.

This month, we invite you to consider:

• Does your current ERG/Network structure enable all colleagues with disabilities to network and learn from each other?

• Is your ERG/Network supporting your organisation to learn directly from the experiences of colleagues with a range of different disabilities and long-term conditions.

• Which leadership traits do you deploy when navigating conflicting opinions about ERG/Network structure?

New guidance and case studies

This month we publish new guidance and case studies on the merits of a range of different disability ERG/Network structures.

Peer Leadership Roundtables

One of the most valuable aspects of PurpleSpace membership is the opportunity to build your leadership capacity via quality conversation with other disability ERG/Network leaders.

Each month we convene groups of disability ERG/Network leaders to stimulate discussion on the monthly leadership lesson.

Connect with your peers during these interactive one-hour sessions for disability ERG/Network leaders. These sessions are a great way to share good practice and challenges, swap ideas and build your ERG/Network leadership capacity. 

In April, we have two sessions to choose from to explore the merits of different ERG/Network structures and sub networks.

• 3 April 10:00 BST/ 15:30 IST/ 20:30 ACDT

• 29 April 16:00 BST / 11:00 EST

PurpleSpace and External Useful Resources:

Tap into our Networkology know-how and check out some of the external learning that links to this month’s leadership lesson:

• Confident Conversations Podcasts. In-depth interviews hosted by PurpleSpace Founder Kate Nash OBE with leaders with lived experience discussing what they have learned about navigating disability and a successful career.

• Confident Conversations Podcasts Series 2, published in summer 2025.

• This article relates to the benefits of neurodivergent specific ERGs/Networks however the principles can be applied to other specific groups too.

• Forbes Article on finding your own disability community.