The key drivers of successful entrepreneurship are often cited as creativity, innovation, persistence and courage.
But entrepreneurship is also shaped by lived experience – something that remains significantly undervalued, particularly when it comes to disabled founders.
I was born with cerebral palsy and, like the colour of my eyes or my love of dogs, it is an intrinsic part of who I am.
Latest UK figures estimate that 25 per cent of the population is disabled – one in four people.
In the North East, where I live, that rises to 32 per cent. Disability is not rare; it is a normal part of the human experience. Yet in business, it is still widely misunderstood.
My disability is visible. I use a powered wheelchair and employ personal assistants to live independently.
But the most significant barriers I’ve faced have not been physical – they have been attitudinal.
From an early age, I learned to navigate a world that wasn’t built for me, not just in terms of infrastructure, but in expectations.
Tackling assumptions
Assumptions about what I could or couldn’t do shaped how others perceived me – and, in turn, the opportunities made available to me.
That insight, alongside my PhD research into perceptions of disability, became the foundation for We Are All Disabled – the organisation I founded to challenge thinking and embed an affirmative approach to disability in business and society.
In my public speaking and Disruptor workshops, I often begin with a simple exercise: asking people to share the first words that come to mind when they think of disability.
The responses are always revealing – a mix of factual, emotional, positive and negative language.
What becomes clear is that even the most well-intentioned individuals carry unconscious bias.
In business, those perceptions influence how people are seen, heard and valued – but perhaps most importantly, how they feel.
My work encourages people to get uncomfortable with being uncomfortable – to sit with those perceptions and challenge them through open, honest conversations.
Because the biggest barrier to inclusion is not disability itself, but how we think about it.
Too often, disability is framed as a deficit – something to be fixed or managed.
The affirmative model rejects that narrative. It positions disability as a natural and valuable part of human diversity, recognising the insight, resilience and lived expertise that come with it.
Harmonai founder Dani Davidson: What I’d say to my younger self
When businesses begin to engage with this perspective, something shifts. They start to recognise the skills and experience disabled people bring – not in spite of disability, but because of it.
My lived experience is integral to everything I do. In my work with organisations, I’ve found that many of the barriers they face are not rooted in disability itself, but in uncertainty – a fear of getting it wrong.
Listening to people with lived experience does more than build empathy. It deepens understanding, improves decision-making and ensures people feel valued, seen and included.
Yet disabled founders remain significantly underrepresented, and lived experience continues to be overlooked as a source of leadership insight. This is a missed opportunity.
Evidence shows that organisations leading on diversity and inclusion are 36 per cent more profitable and 20 per cent more innovative.
That advantage comes from broader perspectives, better decisions and a deeper understanding of the world they operate in.
As a disabled founder, I have developed resilience, adaptability and problem-solving skills from an early age.
I have learned to navigate complexity, advocate for change and communicate with clarity – all essential leadership capabilities.
Leadership informed by lived experience fosters empathy, flexibility and collaboration – qualities businesses need now more than ever.
Disability, understood through the affirmative model, is not a barrier – it is an asset.
At We Are All Disabled, every piece of work begins with lived experience and translates it into meaningful cultural change within organisations.
Disability is not just a lens through which to understand inclusion. It is a strategy for seeing the world differently – and for building businesses that truly work for everyone.