Toucan-Diversity

05/11/2026

04/11/2026

What a wonderful day of training! It was lovely to meet everyone and share such thoughtful conversations about accessibility and inclusion for disabled people.

Thank you to everyone who joined in, asked questions and shared their experiences. Seeing people and organisations come together with a willingness to learn and make a difference was truly encouraging.

Watch Matei Ciuraru, a volunteer at Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester and Kim Martin from Chichester District Council share their thoughts on the training. We’re delighted that 100% of participants would recommend our training to others!

Every conversation can be a step towards a more inclusive world. If you’d like to help make your workplace or community more welcoming and accessible, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch!
A massive thank you to Debbie White for a wonderful training delivery.

02/11/2026

Invisible Disabilities Week: When the illness stays, but the compassion fades

Our Blue Dragon Blogger is writing this late in Invisible Disabilities Week because they have been struggling more than normal.

They recently had minor surgery. But on top of existing chronic illness, it has not felt minor. They have needed to rest and nap a good deal more, while barely managing their existing commitments. There was already very little spare capacity. Recovery has asked for even more. This week is a small, visible example of what usually goes unseen.

During this Invisible Disabilities Week, we want to name disbelief, but also something less often talked about in what happens when people believe us, even care deeply, and then gradually grow tired of our ongoing illness.
Because it continues.

There is no recovery announcement. No reassuring moment when we can tell everyone that we are better and life can return to how it was before illness. We are still in pain. We still have limited energy. With our blue dragon bloggers' trauma history and tendency to please others, they frequently push through and hide the cost of doing so.

If this caught your attention and you would like to read more about this topic, please click on the linktree link in our bio and go to the ‘Read Our Blog’ section.

Image Description: The image is a branded in blue and grey picture showing a woman with brown short hair looking serious into the distance. There is a small blue dragon standing behind her. The writing says: Blue Dragon Blog, Series 2 in blue text, with the Toucan Diversity logo next to the words Series 2.

Lucy Elena Rebecca Butler Rob Trent Ronnie Wang Anne-Marie Asgari

01/11/2026

Toucan’s Sunday Read — Goodbye October!

What a way to close out the month of October! We’re delighted to share that we have submitted our DWP Pathways to Employment Innovation Fund bid, developed in partnership with several disabled-led organisations, Autek CIC and Level Up Gosport. Fingers crossed! 🤞

It feels especially meaningful that we submitted during Disability Employment Month - because this bid is about exactly that.

The disability employment gap is still widening. Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, and 218,000 fewer disabled people are in work than a year ago. The gap isn’t caused by a lack of willingness, it’s caused by a lack of access, opportunity and understanding.

This bid is our contribution to changing that.
Here’s to November — and to what we hope will be some very good news ahead!
Check out our bio for more information on how you too can support disabled employees.



Video Description: A short animated graphic for Toucan’s Sunday Read. The video opens on a dark teal background with a large yellow circle framing a group photo of the Toucan Diversity team. The team, including wheelchair users, are pictured together on a walkway at Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth. As the animation plays, the “Toucan’s Sunday Read” branding appears in the Toucan brand colours — sky blue and yellow pill-shaped labels — alongside the Toucan Diversity logo in white. The overall feel is warm, inclusive and vibrant.

30/10/2026

The Teal Pumpkin...
A beacon of hope and inclusivity on your doorstep! 🎃

Having this pumpkin symbolises that you will be providing goodies for children with severe food allergies, celiac disease, diabetes, or other conditions who cannot safely eat standard Halloween sweets and chocolate.
Fill up a bowl with small, non-edible treasures such as stickers, glow sticks, bubbles, pencils, or small toys and paint yourself a teal pumpkin to promote love and kindness.

No-one should be left out on occasions like this!

Happy trick or treating!

Alt text: Image shows a solitary pumpking painted teal on a white brick background

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29/10/2026

This is "Portsmouth Neurodiversity Team 0-19 - Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Qb Assessments" by AUTEK CIC on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

25/10/2026

Toucan’s Sunday Read

What a week! We’ve been celebrating our amazing Great South Run runners and walkers, welcoming brilliant new University of Portsmouth students to the team, and working hard behind the scenes on bids and onboarding.

🔵 It’s National Week for Invisible Disabilities

Our own Lucy Elena, aka Lucy Knight has shared her personal experience of living with an invisible disability with a powerful reminder of why representation matters. Lucy is also the force behind our brand new TikTok account, so if you’re not following us yet, now’s the time! 👇
👉

And some exciting news: we’ve been awarded the Ryde Neighbourhood Board. We’ll be delivering an Access Audit, CPD-accredited Disability Equality Training, and monthly networking for local businesses and disabled people in Ryde.

More to come watch this space!



Image Description: The first image show a screenshot of one of our lovely team meetings. All are smiling at the camera. The second image is of Amber Rose adchivement of walking the 5K for Toucan Diversity. The final image shows three of our Great South Runner with their medals.

23/10/2026

Part 7 of our series of interviews with Steve Bond, interviewed by Amanda Watkinson of Move Momentum. In part 7, Steve talks about Autek's clients, why Autek's clients come to us and the range of videos Autek have produced.

23/10/2026

“You don't look disabled.”
“Everyone gets tired sometimes.”
Comments like these may seem harmless, but they can have a real impact on people living with invisible disabilities.
This Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week, let's challenge assumptions, listen without judgement and make inclusion part of everyday life.

At Toucan Diversity, our disability training is designed and delivered by disabled people, helping organisations build understanding and create more inclusive environments.

👉 Find out more about our training using the link in to bio.

Alt text:
A graphic for Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week with the headline “Not all disabilities are visible.” The background shows a sunlit wooden desk with four yellow sticky notes displaying common assumptions: “Everyone gets tired sometimes,” “You seemed fine earlier,” “You don't look disabled,” and “Why do you need extra support?” The graphic encourages challenging assumptions to create a more inclusive and understanding community. At the bottom, Toucan Diversity CIC promotes its CPD-accredited disability training, designed and delivered by disabled people.

21/10/2026

This month is ADHD awareness month with the theme being a community of support, reminding us that being aware of the neurodevelopmental disorder is not enough and that people with ADHD need support and understanding, as even today, ADHD can be misunderstood and mischaracterized as ‘lazy’ or ‘careless’.

It is also important to understand that not everyone with ADHD has the same needs, as there are three types of ADHD:
Hyperactive/Impulsive ADHD: Typically shown by feeling restless and needing to move or talk frequently.
Inattentive ADHD: Typically shown by misplacing items and having difficulty concentrating in meetings or school.
Combined ADHD: Multiple symptoms of both Hyperactive/Impulsive ADHD and Inattentive ADHD.

Because of the types of ADHD, it is always important to ask what their needs are and do your best to accommodate them. At Toucan Diversity, we give accredited training to companies on how to best include and work with people with invisible disabilities. If you would like to learn more, head to the linktree link in our bio or our website toucan-diversity.com to check out our offerings.
If you would like to learn more about ADHD and ADHD awareness month, we would recommend checking out https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/ for more information.