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Dr Chris Whitaker

@christheowl.bsky.social

780 followers 990 following 200 posts

Works in disability with my own company Purple Advantage www.purpleadvantage.com. Particularly interested in making the world a more inclusive place for everyone. Loves studying (now: Exec MBA:writing publications on disability employment) sport and music.

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Nov 17

Still looking for my new Bluesky community! Will chat with anyone but particularly interested in #disability #academia #business (currently doing my Exec MBA at Cambridge) and #swfc 😊

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · May 3

At a time when there is some pushback on diversity, I’ve been honoured be nominated for a award. I’d appreciate your support, as the number and nature of nominations helps with the quest to get shortlisted. You can vote here. Thanks in advance:

www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2025/...

Dr Chris Whitaker

I have been voted for an Award at The National Diversity Awards 2025 in association with @itvnews. Please vote for me #NDA25 #Nominate #VotingNowOpen

www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Apr 25

Research update: my Individual Project on disability employment was awarded a mark of 75. The research was recognised for its important analysis.

A I’m immensely grateful to the people who participated in this research.

I’ll be working on getting this research published now…

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 16

On disability employment: conventional approaches don’t work for disabled people. I’m working on solutions via Purple Advantage to help with this. You can’t scare people into work. (2/2)

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 16

Re disability benefits, I’ve been watching the ongoing discussion with interest and concern. The focus needs to be on supporting disabled people who have extra costs due to the unequal nature of society, not penalising them for this. (1/2)

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 10

That was one of the emergent themes yes

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 10

If I had one wish..flexibility! As in understanding that people have different needs and can’t always physically get into an office. A planned approach that focuses on everyone’s strengths and how they can be utilised

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 6

Research update!

Happy to share with you that I submitted my disability employment research last night. The Individual Project, ‘Get (disabled) Britain Working: A Critical Analysis’ will now be assessed.

The research makes an important contribution to the evidence base by including the views of disabled people themselves. Disabled people are so often talked about in relation to employment, and yet their voices are rarely heard.

The headline findings are that:

-Conventional approaches to employment don’t work for disabled people, who continue to experience high levels of discrimination and lack of opportunity. 71% of the 124 people who completed the survey said that they had experienced discrimination.

-To close the disability employment gap, more flexible, person centred approaches to employment are needed.

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Mar 3

Thank you for your patience during this short radio silence. I’m in the final stages of my disability employment work and I think (hope!) it’s coming together well 😊

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Feb 17

Love is…when your wife understands how much you love books and gets you a trolly to compliment your office library 😊

A library trolly with books in Cambridge light blue

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Feb 11

I’m really surprised that there has not been more scrutiny of her ties to the pro AD/AS lobby

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Feb 11

Was always going to be way. Leadbetter is dangerously unaware of what she is doing.

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Feb 1

Research update: I’ve had my head down in my results as a full draft of my entire thesis is due on Monday. The results are telling, seeking to make a novel contribution to discussion to existing scholarship on disability employment. I’m hopeful that this will be the case and that publication follows

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Feb 1

I’m really hoping I can make an important contribution here having actually asked disabled people about their experiences of employment.

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 25

@drbevans.bsky.social hello professor! May I message you with a small request please?

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 25

Deep into my data analysis of disability employment. The data, whilst not without limitations, suggests the need for greater flexibility. Interestingly, also emerging is that a focus less on physical presence may allow disabled people to be more present in the workforce.

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Yes it is, and I shall. If I can do anything, you know where I am 😊

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Thank you-I really appreciate you reaching out - nice to know is not just me!😊

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Completely agree about everything you’ve just said. Probably sounds odd but the nearest rough equivalent I can conjure is a) survivors guilt and b) a profound sense of responsibility to help make the situation better

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Thank you. I am engaging with my supervisor who is brilliant. In a positive way it just increases my determination to offer solutions. But yes. Oooft.

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Agreed! I have some thoughts on this

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 21

Doing my data analysis..and this data. This is a snippet from a coding memo..

This data is awfully powerful and it moves me. Time and time and time again the story is coming out that the world isn't, won't, or can't be accessible.

The abudance of medical model stuff in here is beyond what I expected. In a different version of this i'd like to be more conceptually sophisticated and my commitment to this data is such that I will go back and pick out the nuances.

At the moment I just want to scream that it is society is the issue and unless we get serious about genuinely making society a more inclusive safe and accepting place then further
change is unlikely.

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Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 17

Research update: A huge thank you to everyone who has supported with this to complete and spread the word. We’ve achieved 123 responses with 100 of those from the UK. I’ll close the survey next Tuesday to allow any further responses to come through. It’s a good sample size.

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 17

“No”, says the cat, with an air of defiance. “I will not allow you to work on your thesis on a Friday evening…”

Picture shows my cat curling up against the laptop. Her paws resting on this in a closed position as if to stop me opening the laptop up

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 15

Ah thank you- we’ll definitely have to have a cuppa. I would also love to explore scope for collaboration and if you ever need a guest lecturer…!😊

Dr Chris Whitaker @christheowl.bsky.social · Jan 15

@antoniosktenidis.bsky.social thank you 😊

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