At the heart of our work at TaAF is the belief that when people begin to change – shift their mindsets, change their approach and build new skills – they are the key to changing the systems and places around them for the better.
As we approach the end of our Accelerator funding phase, we are celebrating the people who have been on this journey with us, those who’ve not only changed themselves, but helped shape the communities and systems around them for the better.
Bradley brought lived experience into the everyday work of TaAF, quietly shaping how inclusion shows up in real spaces and real decisions. Bradley’s role at TaAF was to work on the Let Me Move workstream. The aim of his work was to help make things clearer, fairer and more accessible.
Before TaAF
Before his work at TaAF, Bradley had worked in marketing and events before being made redundant. He spent time unemployed and then moved into flexible, ad-hoc work and volunteering, often in disability-focused settings.
When Rachael asked him to help make a TaAF job advert Easy Read, it felt familiar. Applying for the role felt like a step forward.
Working Differently
From the start, Bradley was able to work differently at TaAF. He was supported and given flexibility to work in ways that suited him. That support helped him feel more confident and more organised, and more comfortable speaking up about what was and wasn’t working.
“I feel like I’ve got a bit more organised than I was in the last job.”
What changed first wasn’t the work. It was how confident he felt doing it.
Making Inclusion Practical
Working alongside Rachael on the Let Me Move workstream, Bradley focused on the practical side of inclusion:
• Delivering inclusion training and helping quieter voices be heard
• Helping to set up and coordinate the Accessibility Advocates group
• Supporting accessibility audits of parks and leisure spaces
• Planning and ensuring accessibility for events like the TaAF CoL-laboratory.
• Creating videos on accessibility issues, shared via YouTube.
Much of his role was making small changes that made participation possible.
“I support our accessibility advocates to speak up and also on behalf of them.”
One of the great projects Bradley has been involved is helping Burnley to become a British Cycling’s ‘Limitless Town’; where inclusive cycling is accessible for all.
Watch the video below to see Bradley’s joy in riding a bike for the first time.
Making a difference
Bradley’s contribution helped shift inclusion to something designed in from the start. Partners began to think differently about access, communication and who needs to be in the room.
Colleagues also changed. Managers adapted how they set tasks. Teams thought more carefully about noise, space and communication styles. Inclusion became a shared responsibility, not a specialist issue.
Change in People, Change in the System
Bradley describes himself as more confident and more settled than in previous roles. He’s learned to value his time, set boundaries, and recognise when his lived experience is expertise, not just support.
“I feel more confident within my workplace now, that I’m doing my best I can do.”
Bradley’s story shows that system change can starts with practical support, lived experience, and an organisation willing to work differently. Change the mindsets around people, and the system begins to shift with them.