blog.gov.je
“Nothing For Us, Without Us.”
This powerful phrase is more than a slogan – it’s a guiding principle for the Government of Jersey’s Disability and Inclusion Team and the organisations they work with. At the heart of this movement is a commitment to inclusive engagement: ensuring that every Islander, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance, has a voice in shaping the community we all share.
Who are Enable Jersey?
Enable Jersey is the Island’s all-embracing disability charity, with a bold vision: a community where disabled people can live a life without limits. Founded in 1970 as the Jersey Society for the Disabled, the charity is the Island’s only community-based pan-disability charity meaning they offer their support to anyone living with a disability, their friends, family or carers.
Over the last few years Enable has evolved into a dynamic force for change, supporting Islanders with a wide range of disabilities – from physical and sensory to cognitive and emotional.
Their work spans:
- Enable Connect – offering advice and guidance to individuals, families, and carers and helping them navigate service.
- Enable Wellbeing – promoting holistic health and happiness.
- Enable Voice – putting people with lived experience front and centre in any conversation to inform policy and raise awareness.
- Enable Equip – providing access to and funding for used care and mobility equipment.
Enable Jersey believes that disability is created by societal barriers – not by a person’s condition. Their mission is to remove those barriers and build a community where accessibility benefits everyone.
Partnering for Progress: Enable Jersey & the Government of Jersey
The Disability and Inclusion Team within the Government of Jersey works to implement the Island’s Disability Strategy. Their focus is on practical action, co-design, and collaboration – turning policy into real-world improvements.
Enable Jersey is a key partner in this effort. Together, they’ve embraced co-design as a cornerstone of inclusive engagement. This means involving people with lived experience directly in shaping services, policies, and spaces – from accessible transport schemes to inclusive play parks.
Recent collaborations include:
- Community Transport Projects aimed at improving mobility for disabled Islanders.
- Public Engagement Events like Embrace Our Difference, now in its fifth year, is Jersey’s flagship campaign for disability and inclusion, attracting over 500 attendees and 55 organisations last year. Ensuring that people with disabilities have the opportunity to contribute to Government Consultations such as those on Assisted Dying etc.
- Equip Hub Launches and presentations on the financial costs of disability, helping families access support and resources.
Why Inclusive Engagement Matters
Inclusive engagement isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do. When we listen to diverse voices, we build trust, improve services, and make better decisions. As Enable Jersey puts it: “Disability matters affect us all.”
In Jersey, almost one in seven people live with a disability. Many face challenges accessing healthcare, employment, and community activities. Inclusive engagement helps us understand these barriers and work together to remove them.
The Reality Check
Let’s be honest: inclusion is hard. Mistakes happen. Solutions don’t always please everyone. But progress matters. Every accessible ramp, every co-designed service, every inclusive event is a step forward.
Enable Jersey and the Disability and Inclusion Team know that the key is listening. Not just consulting – but collaborating. Not just asking for feedback – but acting on it.
Spotlight on Co-Design
Co-design is more than a buzzword – it’s a transformative approach. It means treating people with lived experience as equal partners in shaping solutions. Enable Jersey’s Enable Voice initiative is a great example, bringing together individuals to advocate, educate, and inform policy from the ground up.
Final Word
As Jersey continues to grow and evolve, inclusive engagement ensures no one is left out of the conversation. It’s a commitment to fairness, community, and better outcomes for all.
Call to Action
Want to make your engagement more inclusive? Start by asking the simple questions:
- Who’s missing from the table?
- How can we bring them in?
As Enable suggest, we won’t always get it right but the important thing is that we ask the questions and do our very best, don’t be afraid to get it wrong, it will happen but let’s keep learning from those who really know and together we can make a difference.
“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”
– Verna Myers
Join Us in Driving Inclusive Engagement
In partnership with Enable Jersey we are excited to invite you to the fifth annual Embrace Our Difference event, our flagship campaign that continues to challenge outdated perceptions of disability and inclusion. This year, we’re building on our theme of collaboration by focusing on engagement: how organisations can ensure that people with disabilities are actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.
Date: Wednesday 3 December 2025
Time: 15:30 – 18:30
Venue: Radisson Blu
Occasion: International Day for Persons with Disabilities
Contact Us
Enable Jersey
Kingsman Offices, De Carteret House, 7 Castle Street, St Helier, JE2 3BT
01534 485740
info@enablejersey.org
enablejersey.org
Government of Jersey – Disability and Inclusion Team
01534 447231
disability@gov.je
Disability Inclusion Team Contact Page