The DisAbility Advantage: Learning to do business better from lived experience

In this episode of The Disability Advantage, Lesa Bradshaw gets real about a topic most organisations overlook — the psychological safety of managers. We talk a lot about creating safe spaces for employees with disabilities, but what happens when the very people expected to lead those conversations don’t feel safe themselves? Lesa breaks down the five confidence gaps she sees across industries — f...

This episode tackles the difficult questions about disability inclusion that hiring managers and leaders often think, but rarely say out loud. With her trademark straight talking, humour and lived experience, Lesa brings these conversations into the open, removing fear, awkwardness and assumptions along the way. From language and terminology, to performance stigma, workplace adjustments and interv...

This podcast adopts a slightly more formal tone as it explores the importance of leadership and disability confidence among business stakeholders. It highlights the return on investment that comes from intentional efforts to build a barrier-free, enabling, and inclusive culture for all. By drawing on the lived insights and experiences of employees and customers with disabilities, the episode demon...

This punchy piece is bound to stir some debate, as it focuses on the double standards of self disclosure of a disability vs other forms of diversity. Bringing a cheeky comparison, this podcast highlights some pertinent points to consider when we demand proof of disability from our employees and applicants. Lesa once again brings a quirky spin to the conversation in order to promote a deeper unders...

It can be quite disheartening, as a person with a disability, to feel that your right to live your best life so often hinges on the common practices of our mainstream economy and societal practices. And yet, there is legislation out there that has your back! This podcast, delivered with the usual animated personal experiences and stories from Lesa, covers a brief overview of the clusters of legisl...

This metaphorical moment reflects the realities of disclosing a disability to a potential or existing employer. Drawing from lived experience, Lesa Bradshaw shares her journey on the potential setbacks, experiences and barriers that commonly threaten to derail an individual’s career journey. Bringing her unique story telling approach, professional insights and pragmatic advice as a person with a d...

Digital accessibility and artificial intelligence is a hot topic in the economy right now as, like anything technologically new, it can be used for the power of good or the power of evil, it can include and enable people or it can exclude and discriminate against people, it can enhance the customer experience and it can drive customers off the wall with frustration. But how does it impact on the l...

This delightfully direct episode hits hard in the way it unpacks the concept of Ableism and how it manifests in our common societal practices and behaviours. Lesa illustrates the power imbalances between people with, and without, a disability using a chuckle-worthy analogy which nevertheless lands the message of attitudinal barrier, and what needs to be done about them, with a powerful punch.

This punchy piece brings to life the realities of inaccessible infrastructure from the ‘down low’ perspective of a business leader who ‘rolls’ rather than ‘ambulates’! Bringing her full sense of humour and stories of her recent business travels, in this episode/podcast Lesa Bradshaw highlights how, with just a bit of fore-thought and recognition of the positive impact of inclusion, accessibility a...

This episode brings a bit of context to the personal stories used by Lesa to create a shift in thinking about disability and it’s place in society. Shared narratives have the capacity to alter people's perceptions of the world, making them a powerful tool to shift the unconscious prejudice that so frequently shapes our actions. Referencing the highly entertaining experiences of her post-divorce da...