Jennie Williams

Enhance the UK

Jennie Williams is the founder and CEO of Enhance the UK, a user-led charity which aims to help people with physical and sensory disabilities to live a full life.

Jennie and the team she lead the campaign to change public perceptions of what disabled people can do, linking individuals up with life-enhancing opportunities and useful products and services, and delivering insightful and confidence boosting disability awareness training for public and private sector organisations.

She set up the charity after working in the care sector and becoming frustrated with the lack of practical information and support available for people who wanted to know more about communicating with disabled people both professionally and personally.

Jennie, who has degenerative hearing loss, set out to create training that could be delivered by freelance disabled trainers, therefore tackling the issue head on whilst also offering working opportunities for disabled people around the country.

Enhance the UK has worked with organisations including the BBC, Premier League Football Clubs, Northern Rail and Members of Parliament.

Jennie also noticed there were no discussions about sex and relationships on the care plans of many clients she worked with, meaning their needs were being ignored. Determined to end the disability and intimacy taboo, Enhance the UK now runs an ‘Undressing Disability’ campaign focused on the sexual rights and responsibilities of disabled people, petitioning for inclusive sex education in schools. Jennie also set up the ‘Love Lounge’, an online forum for advice and answers regarding sex, dating and relationships for those with impairments, which has pride of place on the charity’s website.

Jennie has given talks around the UK, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and in Albania and Serbia about inclusivity.