Live & Linking with Trudie Hills: Disability Inclusion Starts With a Conversation

Here’s another episode of Live & Linking, my regular chat with people who have something interesting to say about business, LinkedIn and the world around us. This week I’m joined by Trudie Hills, a Disability Consultant & Trainer who spent 14 years working in disability, inclusion and diversity at Lloyds Banking Group before setting up her own consultancy. We had a proper conversation about what disability inclusion actually looks like in the real world, and Trudie was brilliant at turning what can sometimes feel like a complicated subject into some very practical advice.

We talked about accessibility in shops, offices, websites and online training, but one of the biggest messages from Trudie was that it starts with talking to people. Don't make assumptions. Ask what someone needs. Don't assume that every person with the same disability will need the same adjustment. We also talked about non-visible disabilities, the importance of simple language, captions, alt text, accessible PDFs, colour contrast and making LinkedIn content easier for people using screen readers. And yes, I got a little LinkedIn roast of my own too, with Trudie explaining why CamelCase hashtags matter and why emojis aren't always the brilliant bullet points we think they are.

There are loads of practical takeaways in this conversation, whether you're running a small shop, employing people, delivering training online or simply creating content on LinkedIn. We also get onto Trudie's biggest beef, cars parked on pavements, and why accessibility improvements often help far more people than those they were originally designed for. Most importantly, this isn't about getting everything perfect. It's about being curious, having the conversation and being prepared to do something differently. If you want a straightforward, human conversation about disability, accessibility and inclusion, have a listen.

Timestamps

00:38 - Meet Trudie Hills
02:30 - Accessibility for smaller businesses
03:08 - Non-visible disabilities
05:38 - Why a ramp isn't enough
07:10 - Making adjustments part of everyday business
10:20 - Website accessibility
15:38 - Making online training accessible
17:28 - Accessible LinkedIn content
21:02 - Checking AI-generated captions
22:06 - Trudie's biggest accessibility frustration
24:47 - Breaking down the stigma
26:25 - Roasting Trudie's LinkedIn post
29:27 - Final thoughts

Guest contact details

Trudie Hills
Disability Consultant & Trainer
Trudie Hills Consulting
Email: trudiehills.consulting@btinternet.com
Email: trudie.hills@btinternet.com
Phone: 07747 026202
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trudie-hills-5b070612/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trudie.hills