Challenging Assumptions: From Stereotypes to Strengths

Hannah Cohen is an ICF-accredited Workplace Inclusion Coach and former solicitor with more than 20 years’ experience in the legal profession.

After developing a visual impairment during her legal career, Hannah experienced first-hand how quickly the workplace can become difficult to navigate when your circumstances change. That experience, alongside her work supporting others with hidden disabilities and neurodivergence, led her to move into coaching and workplace inclusion.

Hannah now runs The Insight Coach, where she works with professionals and organisations to recognise and remove the hidden barriers that can prevent people from performing at their best.

She provides 1:1 coaching for professionals who are struggling at work, as well as coaching, workshops and practical workplace support for organisations. Her work focuses on turning conversations about inclusion into practical changes that help people feel supported, work more effectively and thrive.

Hannah is passionate about moving beyond assumptions about how people should work, communicate and respond, and creating workplaces where different needs can be understood without people having to continually explain or justify themselves.

Jake is a solicitor in the Employment department at Kuits, a leading, full-service commercial law firm based in Manchester city centre.

Jake advises on all aspects of employment law, providing strategic, practical advice to businesses on employment and HR issues such as disciplinary, grievances, poor performance and sickness absence. Whilst Jake has experience in acting for a range of employers, he is particularly experienced in acting for SMEs and those operating in the hospitality and leisure sector.

Jake acts for both employers and employees in the Employment Tribunal, with a particular focus on claims involving disability discrimination, harassment, constructive and unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and sexual harassment. He also delivers training sessions to clients on various topics including Equality and Diversity and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, which assist employers to protect their business in the event of a claim of discrimination or harassment.

Tara Phillips, CMgr FCMI, Assoc CIPD7, is a Senior HR Consultant at Altum HR with a strong focus on building inclusive workplaces where people with a disability or who are neurodivergent can thrive. Drawing on strategic HR, employee relations and practical workplace transformation, Tara helps employers challenge assumptions, remove barriers and create accessible people practices that unlock talent and potential. A CIPD Level 7 practitioner and Chartered Manager, Tara brings a pragmatic, commercially aware perspective to creating workplaces where difference is understood, valued and enabled.

Emerita Professor Jackie Carter is a statistical literacy expert and former lead for Disability Inclusion at the University of Manchester. An award winning academic and disability inclusion advocate she has led major institutional, regional and national initiatives receiving recognition for her leadership in and beyond higher education. Jackie self-describes as deaf, dizzy and disabled, and is especially committed to addressing invisible disabilities. She presents and publishes widely on being authentic, challenging stereotypes and overcoming barriers. She is also an ardent campaigner for Brain Cancer Justice as her son has incurable cancer. Her mantra is to “be the voice in the room you want to hear”.

Michael Jakubiak is the Founder and CEO of ND Axon and a speaker on neurodiversity, innovation, inclusion and founder resilience. Drawing on his lived experience of ADHD, dyslexia and hidden disability, alongside a commercial career spanning financial services, recruitment and cybersecurity, Michael turned being misunderstood into a mission to redesign broken systems. His talks are honest, energetic and challenging—reframing disability as design intelligence, diagnosis as data, and cognitive difference as a source of innovation.