Aideen Blackborough

21/05/2026

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day — and whilst accessibility is often associated with ramps, lifts and accessible toilets, the reality is much bigger than that.

Accessibility is also about:
💬 how we communicate
📋 our policies and procedures
❓ whether people feel able to ask for what they need
⚙️ how things actually work in practice

Because barriers are often created unintentionally through a culture of:

“It’s just how we do things around here.”

Sometimes it’s the small everyday assumptions that exclude people the most.

Real accessibility means stopping to think:

Would everyone be able to navigate this independently?
Are we making assumptions about communication or support?
Does this process work for everyone — or just most people?

The good news?
Often the changes that make the biggest difference are the simplest ones.

19/05/2026

Last year, I arrived at a venue to deliver disability awareness training.

The building was “accessible”.
No steps. No obvious barriers.
But I still couldn’t get through the door independently.

It was a small detail in the process that caused the problem — and it’s stayed with me ever since.

I’ll be sharing this story during my Global Accessibility Awareness Day session on 21st May, alongside practical conversations about what accessibility really looks like in everyday life.

Places still available if you’d like to join us:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accessibility-in-action-beyond-the-buzzwords-gaad-2026-tickets-1987044435396?aff=oddtdtcreator

18/05/2026

I should have been visiting a school in Pontefract today.

Instead, I’m writing about how I discovered — purely by chance — that the station I was due to travel to independently in my electric wheelchair was not safely accessible.

What makes this even more concerning is that I had already been allowed to book Passenger Assistance for the journey. Had I not stopped to check the station in person beforehand, I could have ended up stranded at an unmanned station with no safe accessible route between platforms.

This is not just frustrating. It is a serious safety issue.

I’ve written a blog about the experience, the emotional impact of still encountering these barriers, and the dangerous gap between “accessible on paper” and accessible in reality.

I Tried Everything to Get to Pontefract - and Still Couldn't Get There Independently A disabled traveller’s experience of accessible train travel in the UK, Passenger Assistance failures and the reality of navigating rail journeys in an electric wheelchair.

15/05/2026

When I was growing up, one of the biggest uncertainties wasn’t just school or mobility — it was whether I’d ever be able to work.

There were a lot of assumptions about what my future might not include.

It hasn’t always been an easy road, and there have definitely been challenges along the way. But today, much of my work is built around using my lived experience to support and educate others — through training, speaking, advocacy and now these parent sessions.

That perspective is one of the reasons I’m running another online session for parents of children with cerebral palsy on 23rd June.

Not to offer guarantees or “perfect outcomes”, but to gently widen the picture of what life can look like over time.

It’s a small, supportive space where parents can listen, reflect, and ask questions if they wish.

Tickets are £10 per household and you can book your place here:

A supportive evening for parents, offering an adult perspective on cerebral palsy, childhood, and what the long view can look like.

15/05/2026

Accessibility often breaks down in the smallest moments.

Not always because of buildings.
Not because people don’t care.

But because no one stopped to think:

How will this actually work in practice?
What assumptions are we making?
Would everyone be able to navigate this independently?

Sometimes the biggest barriers come from processes and communication—not physical access. And often, they’re completely unintentional.
With Global Accessibility Awareness Day coming up next week, I’ve been having some really interesting conversations about what accessibility looks like in real life—not just on paper.

That’s exactly what I’ll be exploring in my session on 21st May.

Book your free place:

A free online session for Global Accessibility Awareness Day exploring practical, real-world inclusion.

08/05/2026

Just a quick reminder - Global Accessibility Awareness Day is on May 21st. If you've got an hour to spare, I'll be sharing some very simple tips to help you be more accessible for both disabled staff and customers. Places are free and it's 12.30-1.30 so you can enjoy your lunch whilst we talk accessibility!

Hope you can join! Book your place here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-in-action-beyond-the-buzzwords-gaad-2026-tickets-1987044435396?aff=oddtdtcreator

A free online session for Global Accessibility Awareness Day exploring practical, real-world inclusion.

27/04/2026

Global Accessibility Awareness Day - 21st May

If you want to make your organisation more accessible for disabled people, join me for a free workshop on 21st May.

Accessibility goes beyond ramps and disabled toilets. Of course physical adaptions are important but it's also about:

- Asking the right questions
- How we communicate
- How the processes we have actually work in practice

Accessibility doesn't have to cost - the smallest of changes can make a huge difference.

It's 1 hour and places are free!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-in-action-beyond-the-buzzwords-gaad-2026-tickets-1987044435396?aff=oddtdtcreator

A free online session for Global Accessibility Awareness Day exploring practical, real-world inclusion.

22/04/2026

When people think about accessibility, they often think about ramps and accessible toilets. And yes—those things matter. They help organisations meet their obligations under the Equality Act.

But they’re only the start of the story.

Real accessibility is about:
how we communicate
whether we ask the right questions
how our processes actually work in practice

Because you can have all the “right” physical features in place… and still create barriers without realising it.

With Global Accessibility Awareness Day coming up, I’m running a session on 21st May focused on what accessibility really looks like day-to-day.
No jargon. No tick boxes. Just practical ways to make a genuine difference.

Book your free place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-in-action-beyond-the-buzzwords-gaad-2026-tickets-1987044435396?aff=oddtdtcreator

A free online session for Global Accessibility Awareness Day exploring practical, real-world inclusion.

20/04/2026

Following the first session I ran earlier this year, I’ll be running my parent session again on 23rd June.

This is a small, supportive online space for parents of children with cerebral palsy — sharing an adult perspective on growing up with CP.

It’s not about advice or comparison.
There’s no pressure to speak.
You’re very welcome to simply listen.

The first session was described as “refreshing” to hear an honest perspective, which meant a lot.

If this feels like something that might be helpful, I’ve added the details below 💛

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/copy-of-growing-up-with-cerebral-palsy-one-adults-perspective-tickets-1987819431430?aff=oddtdtcreator

A supportive evening for parents, offering an adult perspective on cerebral palsy, childhood, and what the long view can look like.

20/04/2026

I turned up to a venue that was “accessible”…

…and still couldn’t get in.

It wasn’t what you’d expect either.

I’ve written a short blog about it—and why accessibility is about more than just the physical stuff.

👉 https://aideenblackborough.com/2026/04/20/the-door-that-appeared-accessible-but-wasnt/

I’ll also be talking more about this in my session on 21st May for Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-in-action-beyond-the-buzzwords-gaad-2026-tickets-1987044435396?aff=oddtdtcreator

A free online session for Global Accessibility Awareness Day exploring practical, real-world inclusion.