Enable at Sussex Police

The name of our network changed in 2015 to ‘Enable’ to explain in one word our core aim. That is to promote an organisational culture that 'enables' people with or affected by disabilities to participate fully, free from discrimination, in all aspects of Sussex Police business.

We are also open to those without a disability, impairment or medical condition, but have caring responsibilities for someone who has a disability.

The Aim of Enable is to:

• Promote equality, awareness, and support in Sussex Police, enabling colleagues with disabilities as well as those who care for others at home who have disabilities.
• In doing so we highlight the many abilities our members provide to the organisation and the diverse communities we serve, when offered appropriate support, understanding, and opportunities.

Participation can range from taking a full part in Enable business to receiving information on a distribution list. We will respect whatever you feel comfortable with.

Enable currently has over 200 members. A bi-annual newsletter is released; recent articles have covered Alzheimers, agile/smart working, the purchase of Read & Write software to assist with all learning difficulties and styles as well as support individuals with visual impairments, working with hidden disabilities, as well as personal stories from front-line officers and staff focusing on dyspraxia, auto immune disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Enable have also joined forces with Unison and the Police Federation to put on some free tea and coffee drop in sessions to tie in with Disability History Month. They wanted to raise awareness of issues surrounding disabled staff and officers by offering some informal opportunities for you to pop in, share your thoughts or even get things ‘off your chest’. The aims of events like this are to raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with disabilities and develop an understanding of reasonable adjustments, to support those with a disability.