NEWS FEATURE


DISABILITY IS MORE


S


uperintendent Simon Nelson, who chairs the national Disabled Police Association (DPA), explains


that disability covers a huge range of conditions. “It is anything that is long term and


has a substantial effect on day-to-day living. It’s more common than some people think. We have members who are considered disabled because the menopause severely impacts their daily lives. Others need reasonable adjustments for mental health reasons such as depression. It really could be anyone, and yet many people are far more comfortable talking about race, gender or any other protected characteristic,” explained Simon.


In 2004, 11 years into his service with


Sussex Police, Simon was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent treatment which left him with difficulty eating, in need of a lot of fluids and struggling with fatigue. Thankfully, he was able to secure the reasonable adjustments he needed to continue in his job and to thrive. Simon was a bronze level Incident


Commander and is now a Chief of Staff at Sussex Police. To ensure the right workplace


help was available for others in similar positions, he became Chair of the Disabled Police Network in Sussex in


HIMALAYAN CHARITY CHALLENGE


COMMON THAN PEOPLE THINK


Disability and policing may not seem like a natural fit but 18 per cent of the working population lives with some form of disability


2014 and broadened the association to the national level, becoming president of the DPA in May 2020. It is a voluntary organisation that receives no funding but works closely with the Police Federation of England and Wales, the College of Policing and other organisations. The DPA is campaigning to tackle issues like workplace stigma around disabilities. A recent survey by the National Police Chiefs’ Council found 42 per cent of disabled people who responded had experienced something hurtful directed at them. “A lot of hurtful things are disguised as banter – we need to move the focus from what people can’t do to what they can offer,” said Simon. Fitness testing is also a problem for


disabled officers, with “fantastic officers” who are skilled in their roles failing the job-related fitness test. Simon added: “We will always need officers to do chases, detain and restrain suspects, that’s obvious. But just because a police officer isn’t as physically able as another doesn’t mean that their job should be at risk. Our job is to show the value that disabled officers bring – and if Peelian principles of representing the community apply – there should be a place in each force for disabled officers too.”


A Nottinghamshire officer is to trek on Mount Everest for two charities that have helped his family through their darkest hours. Firearms instructor PC Gav


Skevington will be joined by his 12-year-old son Alexander and dad Martin for the 15-day climb to Everest Base Camp in April. They are raising money for the Unique Rare Chromosome Disorder Charity and Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre. Gav’s son Alexander was born with an ultra-rare genetic defect called Timothy Syndrome which previously left him unable to move or walk. He thankfully recovered. And the officer’s wife was treated for an aggressive form of breast cancer and has got the all-clear. “Raising enough money to be


able to give back to these charities which have helped us through our darkest hours would be amazing,” said Gav, who also shares the genetic disorder. He added: “We’re still learning


what this means. Alexander has faced a lot of challenges and continues to push far beyond what anyone would expect of a boy his age. I brim with pride thinking about what he’s trying to do – as much as pride I am nervous at the trek.” Sponsor them at:


https://justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/ebc2021skevs


Left to right: Gav, his father Martin and his sons Alexander and Tobey


FEBRUARY 2021 | POLICE | 29


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