Join us on 1 December for Scope’s 17th members event!
Together, we’ll mark the International Day of Disabled People by celebrating the power of lived experience and the leadership of disabled people. Our speakers will share what transforming attitudes means within their own communities — exploring how disability intersects with race, gender, and other parts of identity.
This event is an opportunity to listen, reflect, and learn from real stories of change. Together, we’ll explore how we can all play a part in building a more inclusive and equal future with disabled people.
- Date: Monday 1 December 2025
- Time: From 6.30pm to 8pm
- Location: Online via Zoom
Members who attend the event will enter a raffle to win a £20 voucher!
About the event6.30pm: Welcome from Giovanni Gaetani, Scope’s Membership Programme Lead
6.35pm: the chair introduces the theme of the event and the speakers
6.45pm to 7.30pm: Speakers panel with Ayaz Bhuta, Becky Olaniyi and Christian Harrison
7.30pm to 7.55pm: Roundtable discussion with members
8pm: Event ends
SpeakersMichele Hooker (Chair)
With an impressive 18-year tenure at Scope, Michele Hooker has become a cornerstone of the organisation’s mission to support disabled people across the UK. As Services Locations Lead, Michele is known for her unwavering commitment to helping people achieve their goals and giving teams the tools they need to do their jobs well.
Her work is deeply rooted in collaboration, kindness, and compassion. Michele is a true people person, passionate about creating accessible environments for disabled individuals — both young and old. Her lived experience with multiple sclerosis further fuels her drive to foster inclusive spaces and advocate for meaningful change.
Michele’s leadership style is supportive, encouraging, and focused on bringing out the best in others. She believes in nurturing growth, empowering colleagues, and building strong community services that reflect the values of dignity and respect.
Whether she’s working with teams across the country or engaging with local initiatives, Michele’s dedication to inclusivity, accessibility, and community impact continues to inspire those around her.
Ayaz Bhuta
Ayaz Bhuta MBE PLY is a Community Adviser at Scope and a passionate advocate for disability equality. Growing up, Ayaz was often told that his disability would hold him back, but he has spent his life proving the opposite.
After earning his university degree, Ayaz went on to represent Great Britain in wheelchair rugby, competing 158 times for his country and achieving the pinnacle of success as a Paralympic gold medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Since retiring from elite sport, Ayaz has dedicated his career to changing perceptions of disability. Through his work at Scope, he uses his lived experience to help create a fairer society where disabled people are valued, included, and empowered to achieve their potential.
Ayaz has also visited schools across the country to share his inspirational story and deliver interactive workshops that help young people build confidence, strengthen resilience, and challenge misconceptions about disability.
Becky Olaniyi
Becky Olaniyi is a Community Adviser at Scope. She is a writer, researcher and disability rights advocate with experience spanning the charity, education, media and creative sectors. Living with cerebral palsy, Becky draws on her lived experience to promote accessibility, inclusion and representation across communities and organisations.
Her background includes roles with the Alliance for Inclusive Education, the Rosa Fund and the BBC, as well as published writing for the Centre for Knowledge Equity. Becky contributed to "What is Race? Who are Racists? Why Does Skin Colour Matter? And Other Big Questions" by Nikesh Shukla and Claire Heuchen, published by Hachette, where she discussed her experience as a member of the Black British diaspora in for audiences aged 9 to 11.
Passionate about social justice and representation, Becky leads Playing Fair: The Shuttlework Park Inclusive Play Project, a community project focused on improving playground access for disabled children through the redesign of Shuttleworth Park in Bermondsey. The initiative combines inclusive design and community engagement to create a space where disabled and non-disabled children can play together. By introducing accessible equipment, improved pathways and sensory play zones, the project aims to make Bermondsey a model for inclusive public spaces.
Christian Harrison
Christian Harrison is a Community Adviser for Scope based in Leeds, working to promote an equal future for all disabled people in the area. He holds a PhD in Sociology, with research exploring how transgender disabled people use social media for identity formation and community building.
As a disabled queer trans man, Christian brings lived experience and academic insight to his advocacy, championing approaches that centre accessibility, equity, and co-production. His work is grounded in a belief that transformative change begins with centring the voices of those most marginalised.
Passionate about creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and empowered, Christian is known for his thoughtful, collaborative approach. He works closely with communities, stakeholders, and colleagues to ensure that policy and practice reflect the realities of those they aim to serve. Whether working with local groups or contributing to wider conversations about justice and inclusion, he is committed to building communities that thrive through care, creativity, and collective action.