Building Innovation through Lived Experience of Disability
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Fellow’s Profile
Fellow’s Profile
Building innovation through lived experience of disability
Scaling innovation from lived experience of disability
2023
London
I am a social entrepreneur and Founder of The Wheelchair Skills College, an organisation with the vision of building confidence and independence for every wheelchair user through peer-led skills training to develop crucial skills for daily living. I have been working in the third sector for more than 10 years in programme management at several disability charities, supporting empowerment of disabled people through skills development, campaigning, advice and advocacy.
Creating social change is something that I am passionate about and through my Fellowship I plan to explore what is required for disabled innovators to take their lived experience and create scalable solutions to the social issues their community faces and to embed system change.
My hope is that in understanding the systems in place that act to support disabled innovators, we can create something similar that will enable the sharing of lived experience to have positive outcomes across large communities, ultimately leading to better living.
We spoke to Churchill Fellow Pete Donnelly about his journey from a life-changing accident to empowering disabled communities. Pete shared insights from his Fellowship travels to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, where he learned how the disabled community there use their lived experience to drive social impact. He reflects on the barriers disabled innovators face and the need to give them control over the products and services they use, while highlighting his mission to influence system change in the UK.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) spoke at the Impact73 Interdisciplinary Impact Showcase, discussing the role of lived experience in product design, founding The Wheelchair Skills College, and his Churchill Fellowship research.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) was featured by Channel 4 news in a segment about accessible tube stations and public transport in London.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) joined Sarah Ripper on the Impact Boom podcast to discuss his Churchill Fellowship research on innovation from lived experiences of disability.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
We spoke to Churchill Fellow Pete Donnelly about his journey from a life-changing accident to empowering disabled communities. Pete shared insights from his Fellowship travels to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, where he learned how the disabled community there use their lived experience to drive social impact. He reflects on the barriers disabled innovators face and the need to give them control over the products and services they use, while highlighting his mission to influence system change in the UK.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) spoke at the Impact73 Interdisciplinary Impact Showcase, discussing the role of lived experience in product design, founding The Wheelchair Skills College, and his Churchill Fellowship research.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) was featured by Channel 4 news in a segment about accessible tube stations and public transport in London.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
Pete Donnelly (CF 2023) joined Sarah Ripper on the Impact Boom podcast to discuss his Churchill Fellowship research on innovation from lived experiences of disability.
By Pete Donnelly, 2024
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.