BBC News launches £1M Scheme for Journalists with Disabilities!

BBC News has decided to launch a £1 million scheme to not only recruit but to train and help those with disabilities to develop their journalism skills.  The announcement appeared during BBC News’ special coverage across TV, radio and online and this was titled Disability Works.

Director of the news, James Harding, announced this on 22nd February 2017 and this is aimed at both visible and hidden disabilities.   James Harding has said: “We’re transforming the look and sound of BBC News as well as the people who run our programmes and services for two reasons. We’re the greatest news organisation in the world, it should be open to everyone and anyone to come here and thrive.”

James continued with: “We want to be closer to our audiences, a news organisation in touch with what’s on people’s minds, a newsroom that doesn’t talk past people, but speaks to them.”

Over the course of 2017, there will be a total of twelve positions created within the BBC News’ Mobile and Online team. There will be a variety of roles to choose from, such as broadcast journalists to assistant editors and successful applicants will have the opportunity to work across a range of content. With bespoke training and learning included along with a mentoring programme, it has been announced that at least half of the roles offered will become permanent.

Posts will be advertised for both inside and out of the BBC and details for all these will be available shortly on their Careers website which you can check out here!  (Link – “here!” – http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers)

For those who aren’t selected, a Disability Talent Pool has been created so they will be able to feed ideas and stories on to the Mobile and Online teams. This will help the BBC to find new stories, engage with the wider disabled community and discover more new talent.

Stories from around the world will be focused on to help build experience for disabled entrepreneurs and employees. They will also learn:

  • how to examine different businesses
  • how they are innovating to help disabled people
  • looking at the power of the purple pound within the UK and global economy.

“This is great news and will hopefully lead to more schemes from more businesses,” says Chris Winter CEO at Care First Management Services Limited in Great Barr, Birmingham.

Please see the blog post titled “Unlikely thought some, it must be possible hoped others and then it happened” it outlines Michelle’s journey from student to employee – we don’t have the BBC’s budget but we do employ adults with disabilities where we can.