Johny Cassidy
Journalist at BBC
Media and Publishing
I’ve been a journalist with the BBC for more than 15 years during which time I’ve actively championed the abilities and achievements of disabled people, both inside and outside the BBC. As a BBC journalist it’s crucial for me that the voices of the almost 20% of our audience who have some sort of disability continue to be heard, and heard in a positive way, void of the usual stereotypes and cliched tropes we’ve all witnessed and experienced far too often.
As co-chair of the BBC’s disabled staff network inside the organisation it’s also important for me that the voices and concerns of disabled staff are brought to the top table and actively listened to and acted upon.
I’m a passionate advocate for digital accessibility and recently completed a fellowship with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University where my research focused on the need to ensure blind people aren’t left behind in the visual data revolution. Digital accessibility is a key part of ensuring equitability for disabled people in an increasingly digital world. We have to ensure everyone involved in creating websites and mobile applications are aware of the needs of all users and audiences and continue to push accessibility as a key cornerstone of all new products. The disabled community has an amazing amount of leverage. If we continue to work together to amplify all our voices we can build on the momentum already achieved by so many other disabled people. We’re a powerful community full of talented people and we’re not going away.
“It feels quite surreal for me to be included in the Power 100 list for 2023. To be in the company of so many amazing disabled people doing so many amazing things is really humbling. As a community it’s fantastic to see so much positivity and progress being made by so many people to create an equitable society for us all. I’m privileged to be part of the Disability Power 100. “
Disability Power 100 2023 profile information has been self-submitted by the profile subject. Shaw Trust understands and respects that disability and impairment descriptors and language use varies from person to person. Shaw Trust assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or discrepancies in the content of this, or any other, profile page.
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