Caroline leads the Campaign for Disability Justice, transforming it from an ambitious idea into a reality. As CEO of Inclusion Barnet, and its predecessor, now Inclusion Unlimited, since November 2010, Caroline has been a relentless advocate for disability rights. Drawing from her own lived experience, she champions user-led services for Disabled people and disability rights and works tirelessly to raise awareness of the barriers they face. Caroline is a member of the steering group for the Disability Benefits Consortium, a group of around 130 charities and other organisations campaigning around disability and welfare rights. She also played a pivotal role in developing the Talking About Disability project, collaborating with Inclusion London and other DDPOs to create vital strategic communication resources for organisations striving to enhance disability rights.
"We cannot carry on with a situation where so many Disabled people are trapped in poverty through no fault of their own. Together, we can be a loud voice for change, so let’s work together to end disability poverty."
Geoff brings a wealth of experience to this campaign, with over 50 years dedicated to policy and campaigning in the anti-poverty, welfare rights, and disability fields. He believes in using insight gained from the real-life experiences of Disabled people to drive impactful change.
In addition to his role as Head of Policy at Inclusion Barnet, Geoff is a self-employed writer, researcher, and consultant. Among other things, he is also a Policy Co-Chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium. This gives him a strong track record in amplifying the voices of those directly affected by policy decisions.
Geoff’s deep expertise in social security, disability, employment, and housing issues gives him a unique and valuable perspective. This positions him perfectly to navigate the complexities of this campaign and ensure it is grounded in reality.
“A new Government should bring new opportunities, but we can take nothing for granted – benefit cuts proposed by the outgoing administration are still in the pipeline and need to be taken out of it, replaced by a drive for positive change and a better life for Disabled people, in or out of paid work. Our campaign can help achieve this”.
Our Head of Comms and Engagement at Inclusion Barnet, Claire Fisher, draws from her own lived experience, as well as her role as a carer, to champion the voice of Disabled people for policy change. With over 20 years’ of experience in strategic communications, Claire leads on the campaign communication strategy.
"We know there are hundreds of thousands of Disabled people who would love the chance to work – sadly, there are not enough accessible jobs yet. For this to change, we need employers to think differently. “I know it is possible. Along with hundreds of other DDPOs, we’re already doing it here at Inclusion Barnet, where 75% of us have lived experience of disability. This is why DDPOs must be involved in designing policy and programmes that work. We are the experts!”