2024 Scope Disability Equality Awards winners announced!

Yesterday afternoon, guests joined us online and at the Kia Oval in London to celebrate the incredible people across the UK who are making change happen.

Hosted by the brilliant Kadeena Cox OBE, the 2024 Scope Disability Equality Awards recognised and celebrated the achievements of people who campaign for disability equality, change attitudes and bring about social change.

The 2024 Scope Disability Equality Awards winners

Influencer

Winner: Shelby Lynch

Shelby Lynch is a disabled fashion and beauty influencer, advocate and model. Shelby challenges expectations of what a young disabled woman should be. She uses her platform to talk about intersectionality, body positivity, fashion and the issues she and other disabled people face.

Shelby celebrates her sexuality, and in January 2023 was the cover star for Glamour magazine. She has also modelled in London Fashion Week and champions disability inclusion in the fashion industry.

View all nominees in this category.

Campaign

Winner: Apple ‘The Greatest’

Apple’s short film, The Greatest, raises awareness of Apple’s product innovations. The film follows seven disabled individuals using Apple’s accessibility features. They are creating, communicating and doing what they love.

The Greatest was based on the real, lived experiences of its cast members, ensuring a faithful representation of their lives. The result is an impactful, authentic portrayal of disability on screen that reflects Apple’s prioritisation of accessibility.

View all nominees in this category.

Community Group

Winner: Happy Smiles Training CIC

The Wigan-based Happy Smiles Training delivers disabled-led inclusive training to schools, community groups and businesses. In 2023 the organisation delivered training to over 4000 people. Other achievements include supporting 23 disabled people into long-term volunteering or employment and being commissioned by Wigan Council to develop a three-year EDI strategy.

Happy Smiles Training take a solutions-based approach, by raising awareness creatively. This includes an award-winning children’s book series, co-designed by people with lived experience, which informs children and families about long-term health conditions.

View all nominees in this category.

Inclusive Workplace

Winner: Ralph & Katie production team / ITV Studios

The BBC prime television series Ralph & Katie changed perceptions about disability. Both in its content and working practices. It set new standards in the TV industry for recruitment, training, and production methods. Producer Jules Hussey and director Jordan Hogg emphasised that everyone should say what they need to work to their potential.

Recruiting and supporting disabled employees and trainees was required of all departments. Six deaf, disabled, neurodiverse and autistic trainees worked across the project. Inclusivity was embedded throughout the production.

View all nominees in this category.

Journalist

Winner: Lottie Jackson

In all her writing Lottie Jackson ensures disabled people are seen and understood. Notably in the fashion world. In national publications including the Guardian and Elle she argues that this exclusionary industry must cater for disabled people

In 2023 she contributed to British Vogue’s disability issue, interviewing Ellie Goldstein, the first Vogue cover star with Down’s Syndrome. She also published an acclaimed book. See Me Rolling: On Disability, Equality and Ten-Point Turns combines memoir with an investigation of the stigma surrounding disability.

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Role Model

Winner: Dr Amo Raju OBE DL

Amo’s 2021 memoir, Walk Like A Man, tells his story of living with cerebral palsy and depression. He promotes disability awareness to employers, service providers and anyone serious about improving their offer to disabled people.

View all nominees in this category.

Accessible Product

Winner: LEGO Braille Bricks

LEGO Braille Bricks have both braille and printed letters, numbers and symbols on each brick. Since 2020, the LEGO Foundation has distributed the bricks free to organisations specialising in the education of children with vision impairment. Then in 2023 the LEGO Group made LEGO Braille Bricks available to the public.

Play is one of the best ways for children to learn and it helps families bond. LEGO Braille Bricks make learning braille more fun and accessible to the whole family.

View all nominees in this category.

Media Moment

Winner: Ralph & Katie

The BBC series Ralph & Katie follows newlyweds, both of whom have Down’s Syndrome, through their first year of marriage. The six-part primetime show was written by five disabled writers. It starred two learning disabled lead actors and had a hugely inclusive cast, crew and working practices.

In the media moment from episode one, Katie is shocked by her husband Ralph’s perception of her abilities. Her response challenges the audience to not make assumptions about disabled peoples’ skills and potential.

View all nominees in this category.

Purple Pioneer

Winner: Zahari Brimacombe

Zahari Brimacombe champions the cause of disabled people in Somerset. Their achievements include establishing a reasonable adjustments fund for disabled staff at NHS Somerset Foundation Trust and contributing to the coproduction of Somerset’s autism services. As inclusion advisor to Girlguiding Somerset, Zahari enables autistic and neurodivergent girls and disabled adult volunteers to attend camps and weekly meetings.

Zahari also plays and promotes wheelchair tennis and is a key member of Open Table Taunton, an LGBTQ+ inclusive church meeting accessible to disabled people.

View all nominees in this category.

Thank you

We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made this such a memorable event. Thank you to all of you for joining us in person and online to celebrate the achievements of those who campaign for disability equality.

Find out more about the Scope Awards.