About Us
The Disability Connect Mentoring Scheme was founded by Steven Jones, a public sector professional, a wheelchair user and mental health first aider.
Steven has a rare, genetically inherited neuromuscular condition called spinal muscular atrophy that causes muscle weakness, loss of movement and permanently uses a wheelchair.
Steven studied at Oxford Brookes University where he volunteered as a student mentor at a local secondary school and was elected as Disabled Students’ Officer which involved representing the disabled student population and campaigning for change across the university. Since graduating he has held positions in the private, not-for-profit and public sector and has first-hand experience of the challenges and barriers of disability in the workplace and during the recruitment process. He has participated in both mentoring and reverse mentoring schemes, as a mentor and mentee, and believes mentoring to be the most effective way of learning in the workplace.
Steven is passionate about diversity and inclusion and understands the need to embed a disability positive culture to attract and retain the best talent and improve company image. He set up the Disability Connect Mentoring Scheme to increase the utilisation of diverse mentoring schemes across the UK and connect business leaders with talented disabled mentors to help them increase their knowledge, awareness and understanding of disability and implement effective change within their organisation.
You can get in touch with Steven by emailing info@disabilityconnect.org.uk
Our Partners
Elaine Reid - North East Scotland College
“We had identified a number of areas that we wished to address and the Disability Connect Mentoring Scheme has been absolutely invaluable in enabling us to do so. My mentor, Helen Cherry, provided insights into - and practical ways of - how we could improve our recruitment processes to make them more inclusive. In addition, her input enabled us to devise a strategy to address ableism by focussing on changing organisational culture through language and communication as well as highlighting how we could gain a greater understanding of hidden impairments and disabilities. This was a great scheme, with great results – and a great mentor, who taught me so much and was also fun to work with!”
