It's one thing to have a policy on being positive about disabled people, but quite another to put it into practice. Chris Whitelaw, a Schools e-Business Project Officer who is bi-laterally deaf, talks about his experiences of working at the Council.
“A good way of imagining yourself in my world would be to put a cushion over each ear and try to hold a conversation. I hear no upper frequency sounds and when more than one person is talking at a time, I am totally unable to follow group conversations. My team all know of my disability and they have been excellent in adapting to my needs.
“It's not just a question of speaking slowly, in fact, for a lip reader, over-accentuated speech is almost impossible to lip read. What is needed is speech at normal speed, but a little gap at the end of sentences, and a realisation that we will take more time to respond to a question.
“Deafness is the 'invisible disability', although having a large black assistance dog padding around with me goes some way to making my deafness visible!"
Supportive work environment
“My colleagues in the schools applications team have made me feel like my disability is really no problem, and they have done so ‘effortlessly'. I don't feel out of place or an encumbrance to my colleagues. They not only understand the policy, but live it day by day. They make my disability so easy to work with. The Council really is positive about disabled people.”
“My hearing, sadly, continues to deteriorate. But my colleagues have been fantastic in the way they adjust to my needs, I have never for one moment felt that my deafness was tolerated.
"The Council has been truly amazing in the amount of training it has provided for me. I have passed both the level 3 and level 5 Chartered Management Institute courses, and have also gained the Chartered Manager award (Cmgr) and become a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. As if that wasn't enough, I have also gained the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certification.
“If you are prepared to put the time in, East Sussex County Council can supply the training you want to progress your department's business needs.”
Career path
Chris's background is in education. He previously worked as a senior leader in schools, but found that his increasing deafness was having an impact on his performance in the classroom.
“I started off as a project officer in Children's Services, but now I am working as a training consultant with the schools applications support team in Eastbourne. Now I help to deliver training to schools on their information management system. In addition, I am now on secondment for two days a week to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), where I am working with member teams and agencies to advance the e-safety agenda.
"I am now an ICT Mark Assessor, giving accreditation to schools who have achieved well in ICT. There are few things more rewarding than being invited into a school to conduct an assessment and seeing the magnificent work our schools are undertaking to maximise the impact of ICT for the benefit not only of the school, but of their whole community."
East Sussex County Council