19/05/2026
This is something we feel very passionate about in Autism Friendly Sligo. While we don't ask a lot of our Champions, what matters most is intent. Our champions are choosing to engage to help make their little corner of Sligo town more inclusive for autistic people. They are making these changes themselves and while we give them every support, it is their own work. They are engaging directly and taking ownership like when the Hawkswell decided to do inclusive theatre productions, and the Radisson built a sensory trail, and the Library decided to start loaning neuro-friendly toys and equipment or when Sligo Traveller Support Group opened up their sensory room. We are building something real.
Have you heard of Disability Washing? This infographic defines it as "when organisations present themselves as inclusive of [Disabled People], but do not take meaningful or sustained action to make that inclusion real" it includes things like giving us a seat at the table but not listening to what we say when we are there; making plans for us rather than with us; making accessibility promises but not delivering on them; including some disabled people while others are left out; outsourcing inclusion rather than taking ownership.
Have you experienced this?
Tell us about it in the comments.
A big thank you to Shylet K. who developed this infographic and other excellent resources around measuring and tackling disability washing and who gave us permission to share https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyletkaseke/recent-activity/all/
Disability Washing Infographic
The title asks: “You may have heard of Disability Washing? But what about disability Washing?” To the right of the title under the image of a paint roller painting a strip of purple it reads” Disability washing is when organisations present themselves as inclusive of [Disabled People], but do not take meaningful or sustained action to make that inclusion real (Meaningful and sustained action are highlighted by being coloured purple when the rest of the text is black) Under the definition there is a box marked with an exclamation mark in a circle that says: “It names the gap between accessibility claims and actual access.”
Under this there are two columns. The one on the left has purple headings and purple line drawings while the one on the right has green headings and green line drawings. The heading on the left is marked with a x in a circle. It reads: “What it looks like (disability washing)”. The column on the right is headed: “What real inclusion looks like”. Each row is numbered – there are 5 rows.
Reading across:
1. LEFT: A line drawing of a building with access by stairs.
“Accessibility without Infrastructure: Ramps in reports not in buildings. Digital platforms announced as “inclusive” but incompatible with screen readers”
RIGHT: A line drawing of a building with a street level main entrance and a ramp to the side entrance.
“Infrastructure with Intent: Accessibility is designed from the start – physical, digital and systemic.”
2. LEFT: A line drawing of a huge megaphone facing a person in a wheelchair who has their hand raised.
“Representation without participation: [Disabled People] featured in campaigns – but not in hiring, leadership or decision-making.”
RIGHT: A line drawing of three people sitting around a table one of them is a wheelchair user.
“Voice with power: [Disabled People] shape decisions, not just stories”
3. LEFT: A line drawing of a clipboard with tick boxes and a pie chart.
Data without redesign: Disability data is collected but programs remain unchanged. Barriers are documented, not removed.
RIGHTS: A line drawing of a bar graph with a line graph above it and a magnifying glass with a tick in the middle of the glass.
“Data that drive change: Insights lead to redesigned programs, budgets, and accountability.”
4. LEFT: A line drawing of a clipboard with tick boxes and a white tick in a purple circle in the bottom right corner.
“Compliance without commitment: Tick-box accessibility to meet donor or legal requirements – without shifting systems or culture”
RIGHT: A line drawing of a handshake with a dollar symbol in a circle above.
“Inclusion is resourced, measured and owned – not outsourced.”
5. LEFT: A line drawing of three people the person on the left is a wheelchair user. All look generic / male.
“Inclusion without Reach: A narrow approach that excluded those most structurally blocked – especially [Disabled Women], rural communities, and those outside formal systems.”
RIGHT: A line drawing of 4 people. One is a wheelchair user, one is an amputee, one wears a headscarf and skirt and carries a cane.
“Inclusion that reaches the margins: Those most excluded are centred by design, not by accident.”
Across the bottom there are two strips. The first is marked by a question mark and has 5 panels. The first says: “Ask Better Questions”. The next panel has a drawing of a wallet and underneath says: “Where does disability inclusion sit in the budget – not the brochure?”. The next panel repeats the picture of three people sitting around a table – one is a wheelchair user and underneath says: “Who designed this – and who was left out of the room?”. The next panel has a picture of a barrier and underneath says: “What barriers were actually removed?”. The final panel has a dotted outline of a person and underneath says: “Who is still missing even when we say ‘inclusive’?”
The final strip has a picture of a megaphone facing the words, “Disability Washing isn’t an awareness problem. It’s an access problem” and arrow points form these words to “Until inclusion changes how systems are built, It Hasn’t Happened.”
