My Naidex Experience
Written by podcast team member Luke, postscript by podcast staff lead Adam
On Wednesday the 22nd of March 2023, I travelled by train down to Birmingham to attend the annual Naidex Conference at NEC, where the 2 day event is usually held every year. I was supported by the Trips And Travel group Coordinator on the Our Lives Our Way Project, that’s based at Bradford Talking Media, and we both had a great time learning lots of things on the day.
I met up with a few of the members of the People First Keighley & Craven Podcast Team, to whom were running a stand there with live podcasts there and we interviewed some interesting speakers who were also attending the conference, one of which included a disabled Advocate called Samantha Renke. I also walked round all the other stalls and I was a little let down to discover that the event was not really geared up for people with hidden disabilities, for example registered blind. However, I did find a hidden disabilities stand being run by two lovely ladies who were giving away lanyards and leaflets. I picked up some useful information and I really thought the experience was all well worth the day trip.
For next year, I suggested with BTM that we take an OLOW stand there next year, travel down on the Tuesday and stay for two nights in a nearby hotel to make it more bigger and better, because, I did find the one day 6 train journey there and back also very tiring.
Adam: What an amazing experience Naidex was for our podcast. We managed to interview 56 different people over the course of the 2 days, which have all been released across 2 podcasts. It’s really important that we heard Luke’s perspective of the event as someone who is registered blind, because it’s a unique experience of the event and it’s so important that his voice is heard. Thank you for your hard work during your day at Naidex Luke, and I hope that you get to visit over multiple days next time as well!
