The Power of Inclusive Networks: Disabled People, Advocacy, Action and Opportunities

Inclusive networks are a powerful and important mechanism for disabled communities and groups worldwide. Networks often act as a focus point for advocacy and action, providing shared learning, and creating opportunities and collective impact for members and groups.  

But what does it take to create a truly inclusive network that supports and platforms its disabled members?  Why are these networks important? What can they offer?  

Join the Disabled Leaders Network, the British Council Alumni UK Disability Inclusion Network and The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Network (CPwD Member) for a discussion on setting up and running disability inclusive networks.

We will also hear from Senator Floyd Morris - Jamaica’s first blind senator and the first visually impaired President of the Senate - who will share their experiences of being a member of The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Network.

This event will explore the power of inclusive networks and offer practical advice for anyone looking to set up their own as well as give information for those looking to join one of the networks featured. 

Speakers include: 

• Senator Floyd Morris - Jamaican politician, academic, and disability rights advocate [CPwD Member]
• Fareed Ibrahim Gombilla - Ghanaian social development practitioner and disability inclusion advocate with over six years of experience working in community development, social welfare and disability inclusion.
• Shamail Abdallah - EDI and Research Manager, Alumni UK Programme, British Council  
• Steph Byrne - DLN committee member
• Amelia Underwood-King (host) - DLN manager and member

All are welcome. This event will have closed captions and BSL. Register to join.

The Disabled Leaders Network is a network of pioneering talent, consisting of disabled students, graduates, and professionals who have all been identified as leaders in their respective fields. Funded by the Snowdon Trust and managed in partnership between the Snowdon Trust and the Global Disability Innovation Hub members range from astrophysicists and lawyers to choreographers and Paralympians, and all have different disabilities.

Senator Floyd Morris 

Professor Dr. Floyd Morris is a Jamaican senator, academic, and one of the Caribbean’s foremost disability rights advocates. Born on 23 July 1969 in Bailey’s Vale, Saint Mary Parish, he began losing his sight in high school due to glaucoma and became completely blind by the age of 20. 

In 1998, he was appointed to the Jamaican Senate by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, becoming its first blind member. He returned to the Senate in 2012 and was elected President in 2013, becoming the first blind person to hold that position. 

In his role as Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, he led negotiations that saw Jamaica become the first country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. He was also instrumental in the passing of the Disabilities Act 2014 and introduced sign language into the Jamaican Parliament. 

He serves as Director of the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of the West Indies and as Special Rapporteur on Disability for CARICOM, and is a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He holds a PhD from UWI and has authored an autobiography, By Faith, Not By Sight. 

Shamail Abdallah 

Shamail Abdallah is the EDI and Research Manager for the British Council’s Alumni UK programme. A multilingual, highly qualified professional with over 14 years’ experience in leading and advocating for inclusion and social change in international education, media, and cultural relations, Shamail specialises in social entrepreneurship and innovation. She holds an MSc with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Shamail is a highly effective advocate for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion across international education and business sectors.

Fareed Ibrahim Gombilla 

Fareed Ibrahim Gombilla is a Ghanaian social development practitioner and disability inclusion advocate with over six years of experience working in community development, social welfare and disability inclusion. He currently serves as a Social Development Officer at the Krowor Municipal Assembly, where he works in community development and social welfare, including supporting initiatives for persons with disabilities. 

Fareed also serves as a Disability Inclusion Facilitator under the Mastercard Foundation’s We Can Work Project, supporting efforts to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in employment and broader opportunities for participation. He is passionate about disability rights and inclusion, with particular interests in digital accessibility, education, employment, inclusive development and access to public services. 

He is a member of the Alumni UK Disability Inclusion Community of Practice Steering Group, where he contributes to efforts to strengthen collaboration, learning and collective action among alumni working to advance disability inclusion. He is also actively involved in initiatives promoting inclusive technology, accessible participation and greater opportunities for persons with disabilities in Ghana. 

Fareed holds a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Ghana, an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS, University of London, and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Pentecost University. He is currently pursuing his professional legal training towards becoming a lawyer. He brings a combination of professional experience, advocacy and lived experience of disability to his work, and is particularly interested in how networks can empower persons with disabilities to share knowledge, influence policy, build partnerships and drive meaningful change. 

Amelia Underwood-King 

Amelia is a postgraduate researcher and cultural activist who is committed to disability justice and tackling the gender health gap. Amelia manages the DLN, a network of emerging and established disabled leaders striving to make the workplace and higher education more inclusive.  

Amelia is also the founder of Patient No More, an advocacy platform for disabled and chronically ill women, girls and people AFAB, and frequently speaks on issues surrounding disability justice and gender including at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the UK Houses of Parliament. 

About the British Council UK Disability Inclusion Network

Alumni UK Disability Inclusion Community of Practice (DI CoP), delivered by the British Council, brings together international UK alumni to share experiences, learn from one another, and build meaningful connections. Through collaboration, advocacy, and professional development, the DI CoP empowers persons with disabilities to lead positive change, strengthen accessibility, and advance equality, diversity, and inclusion across higher education institutions and communities globally. 

Disability Inclusion Community of Practice is a global, action-focussed and member-led network which provides a platform for international UK alumni with lived experiences of disability or an interest in disability inclusion. It is guided by a global steering group of 12 members from within the Alumni UK network. 

This community is part of a powerful global movement built on collaboration, inclusion, and lived experience. Persons with disabilities are not just participants. They are leaders, innovators, and changemakers driving solutions within their communities and beyond. By joining, you become part of a collective effort to create more equitable, accessible, and inclusive educational institutions, workplaces, and communities around the world. Your voice, perspective, and contributions are essential to shaping this movement and advancing meaningful change. 
 

About the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Network 

The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) is a formal network within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) that promotes the representation, inclusion, and full participation of persons with disabilities across nearly 180 Commonwealth Parliaments. 

The CPwD network was established between 2017–2018 to address the under‑representation of persons with disabilities in political institutions and to mainstream disability considerations across all CPA activities.  

The networks core mission is to:  

• Increase representation of persons with disabilities in Commonwealth Parliaments. 
• Support Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with disabilities to be more effective in their roles. 
• Ensure disability perspectives are integrated into legislation, oversight, and representation. 

About the Disabled Leaders Network

The Disabled Leaders Network (DLN) amplifies disabled talent through community, capacity building and connection. Funded by the Snowdon Trust, and co-delivered by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and the Snowdon Trust, this member-led network champions exceptional emerging and established disabled talent by creating opportunities for learning, collaboration and collective action in a member led ecosystem.

The DLN shapes and advocates for inclusion, while empowering disabled-led change - hosting public events, developing resources and advocating at the highest level. The network - inclusive of disabled students, graduates, early career and established professionals - creates peer-to-peer safe spaces and learning opportunities. By building capacity among talented disabled voices, the Disabled Leaders Network provides a safe community of peers and a collective advocacy voice for change.