UK Music published its Diversity Report 2022, which alongside revealing the data from the UK Music Workforce Diversity Survey, also highlighted some of the fantastic campaigning work that’s been taking place, which includes Attitude Is Everything. 

Leading disability organisation, Attitude is Everything, has continued to activate campaigns, fight for the disability pay gap, call for changes to Access To Work, and deliver initiatives to advocate for disabled people in the music industry.

Attitude Is Everything volunteers. Copyright: Attitude Is Everything.

Over the last two years, the organisation has launched:

• Beyond The Music, a place for Deaf and disabled people working or seeking to work in the industry to meet, network, share ideas and find support around navigating the industry.
• Structured opportunities for Deaf and disabled people to develop their skills through training, mentoring, shadowing and skilled employment and volunteering opportunities.
• Accessible Creative Environments training – a new training course tailored to support companies within the industry to create a truly inclusive workplace culture.
• A Future Leaders programme – a year-long skills development programme to help talented Deaf and disabled people develop the skills to lead the industry in the future.
• An Accessible Employment and Volunteering Toolkit.

Attitude Is Everything encourages live events to provide services such as captioning to increase accessibility.

Paul Hawkins, head of Volunteering and Skills Development at Attitude is Everything, said: “We are seeing more disabled interns entering the workplace but there is a lack of senior disabled leadership; we need to see that talent rise, we need to see a sustainable pipeline.”

The leaders driving the organisation forward say that action needs to be taken much earlier in an individual’s journey.

Attitude is Everything Founder Suzanne Bull MBE traversing The O2.

Attitude is Everything Founder Suzanne Bull MBE said: “When it comes to careers advice, disabled people are steered towards other jobs and never consider the music industry. There are no role models for them. We also need to see significant changes made to the Access to Work scheme to make it fully supportive of jobs that are creative, freelance and have flexible work patterns”.

Speaking of her own experience, Suzanne added: “There is an immense pressure of responsibility for those who are in senior leadership positions or who are considered role models. What happens to the legacy when they leave?”

Learn more about Attitude Is Everything here.

Read the UK Music Diversity Report here.