The lens of lived experience: seeing talent others miss
The lens of lived experience: seeing talent others miss
By James Mavor, London Works, ELBA
From 20 November to 20 December, the UK marks Disability History Month – a time to reflect, but also to act. For me, this month is deeply personal. My journey with sight loss shapes how I show up every day at London Works and ELBA.
I’m James Mavor, Assistant to Caz Simmonds, who is a member of ELBA’s Leadership team and the Head of Programmes for London Works. Caz is registered blind, having lost her sight in 2021, and together we blend professional expertise and the hidden power of lived experience to fuel our mission of building a world of work where everyone can thrive.
Caz calls me her “diamond find” — someone who combines a global recruitment background with first-hand insight into disability inclusion and the specific frustrations and challenges that come with visual impairment.
But I haven’t always felt like a diamond.
I was born with severe sight impairment – blind in my left eye and partially sighted in my right. My 6/60 visual acuity means I must stand 6 metres away to see what a person with normal vision sees clearly from 60.
My Ophthalmologist’s diagnosis – ‘He’ll never be a pilot like his grandfather’- was my first encounter with systemic bias. An accurate medical assessment perhaps, but I always believed I’d fly somehow.
From inequitable graduate assessment days pitted against my sighted peers to wild misconceptions about my capability in interviews, getting my first job was painstaking.
I’m the forever “square peg”, I’d tell myself. The odd one out. The subtle, yet continuous bias eventually wears us down, leading to chronic self-doubt – a concept known as internalised ableism. A concept that holds us back from scaling the heights our talent deserves.
Refusing to be beaten, I relocated to London to kick-start my career. I quickly honed my leadership skills. I strengthened my recruiting and commercial acumen, gaining richly fulfilling international experience that spanned secondments in Switzerland to pitches in the US. I achieved promotions and won opportunities that weren’t at all restricted by my disability. I led teams and high-profile client relationships all over the world, from Australia to Argentina. I succeeded, but I was one of the lucky ones.
But what about the millions of disabled people whose careers are stunted by inaccessible processes, systemic bias, and internalised ableism?
My own journey required simple, practical and cost-minimal reasonable adjustments in the workplace, such as the right screen settings and size, or accessible software.
What I lack in vision, I’ve compensated for in interpersonal skills, humility and adaptability. These are the crucial, hidden skills that traditional recruitment methodologies consistently overlook.
This is where London Works and ELBA step in.
Our focus is helping companies bridge this gap: driving change and fostering environments where disability is an asset, not an obstacle. ELBA demonstrates best practice by prioritising reasonable adjustments and showing that flexibility is essential for excellence.
This UK Disability History Month ask yourself how disability confident and truly inclusive is my company?
Partner with London Works. We can guide you on best practice for inclusive recruitment and retention and help you find talented disabled candidates.
I hope reading my story is useful. Both Caz and I welcome you to contact us to discuss how your organisation can champion disabled talent and build a truly inclusive future.
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