Dr Gregory Burke
AccessAble
While studying at University of Cambridge, Gregory became increasingly frustrated by poor access and people’s attitudes. When he looked for accessibility information about places he wanted, or needed, to go the best-case scenario was a few unhelpful words that only resulted in more uncertainty. This led Gregory to co-ordinate a national consultation. This unprecedented project recorded disabled people’s experiences accessing towns, cities and destinations.
The feedback received from over 100 different disability groups led Gregory to launch DisabledGo.com in 2002. The website gave disabled people and carers accurate, detailed accessibility information to assess for themselves whether a place would be accessible for them.
By 2009, after a decade hearing other people’s stories of disability discrimination, Gregory decided to retrain as a lawyer so he could leverage an even bigger impact. He studied law while still serving as the full-time CEO of DisabledGo.com and was called to the Bar in 2012. Within five years he was Head of Employment Law at 7 Bedford Row, leading a team of 28 barristers. He works across disability, equality and employment law cases and has trained other lawyers on disability compensation.
Gregory has also mentored other disabled people and featured on radio and TV numerous times including BBC Breakfast, Radio 4 Today, BBC Business and Wake Up to Money.
By 2018 DisabledGo was being used by over 1.5 million people each year to plan a visit or trip out. Gregory, and his team, took the opportunity to take the organisation to the next level launching a new website, App and brand – AccessAble.
AccessAble is now helping over two million people and working with 350 clients including NHS trusts, universities, local authorities and companies including Marks and Spencer, Odeon and the Premier League. The App is transforming how people find and use accessibility information, enabling people to find places accessible to them on the move.
You have an inherent value; a precious worth that is you. It doesn’t depend on the status of your job, wealth or importance. It’s unaffected by how tall, small, fat or thin you are; how mobile or dexterous; how well or not you can see or hear. It’s totally unaffected by impairment or disability. I know how disabled people’s dignity is seemingly transgressed in countless ways every day. I felt the same but I definitively decided the shortcomings of society are not my fault and they are not yours. I refuse to internalise society’s failure. You don’t need to either. Your dignity is intact. It is your natural state of being.