From the cricket pitch to the board room, ThinkAbility assists all organisations to concentrate on the individual in order to bring out their best abilities.
Sarah Carmody
Trainer Profile
Sarah's Key Roles
. Development and implementation of communication strategies for businesses and sporting organisations that hit key demographics and implement inclusive approaches and language.
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. Gender Diversity and Sexuality training for Managers of business or sports organisations.
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. Gender Diversity and Sexuality training for staff members or sports team members.
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. Neurodevelopmental Conditions in the Workplace Training for Managers or Directors.
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. Neurodevelopmental Conditions in the
Workplace training for staff teams
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. Neurodevelopmental Conditions in Children Involved in/entering sports clubs. This training is for Sport Coaches.
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. Becoming an active bystander training. Course open to anyone.
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. Inclusion and ability focus training in respect of people with learning disabilities. This training is for staff teams and/or managers.
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. Hate Crime Issues and reporting pathways.
. Racism prevention in the workplace for managers and staff members.
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. Understanding implicit and explicit racism.
. Business and sporting organisations consultations on best practice inclusion policies.
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. Supporting people with physical disabilities training. For support workers and managers.
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. Best practice inclusion policies for people with physical disabilities in the workplace. For managers and staff members.
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. Training mentors of people with acquired brain injuries.
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. Training to organisations on increasing knowledge of and the prevention of hate crimes.
Sarah Carmody began her working life at the age of 18, assisting people to move out of Meanwood Park Hospital and into their own homes. Some of the people that she helped to move out of Meanwood Park Hospital were in their 60s and 70s and spent most of their lives in the institution due to reasons such as being sexually assaulted as children, having a physical disability or simply having ‘behaviour’ that did not fit into the norms of the day.
Later Sarah went on to manage a small group home in which people with learning disabilities lived and then was an area manager for a national company that supported people with mental health conditions and provided mentoring and advice for people with autism and ADHD and their families. Sarah provided training to individuals who wanted to manage their own support services and also to support workers
After several years, Sarah moved into the corporate world, one in which, even in the early 2000s, being an ‘out’ lesbian had significant challenges and an extraordinary amount of homophobia. During this time, working in a high-pressured and traditionally male office environment was detrimental to career prospects and even work-related bonuses to be known to be a lesbian.
Sarah later retrained and went to Leeds Trinity University to study journalism. Whilst doing this degree course, Sarah became the founding editor of a new community website Gayleeds.com and was appointed by Terry George and Michael Rothwell of All Points North.
During her time as editor, Sarah was very active in the local, national and international campaigning for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and worked closely with community rights organisations throughout the country to promote inclusivity. Sarah was delighted to win Best Editor and Best Magazine awards for her work with gayleeds.com. Sarah was also nominated for The National Diversity Awards twice in the categories of the Positive Role Model Award and the Community Organisation Award.
Sarah was also on the planning committee of Leeds Pride and spoke to a crowd of 50,000 people at a Leeds Pride event about the value of inclusion and diversity.
Sarah worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as The Guardian, The Big Issue, Diva Magazine and many other local and national press.
After leaving Leeds Trinity University, Sarah became a political Press & Communications Officer and a Political Elections Campaign Manager.
Sarah has a passion for diversity, inclusivity and fairness and has vast experience on framing inclusive communication strategies, diversity in the workplace, and training and coaching businesses on creating places accessible for people of all abilities.
