IP Ability – resources and articles

IP Ability is keen to spread the word about its work and about the importance of inclusivity for disabled people and carers in the IP professions, to help get conversations going and remove some of the stigma around disability. That helps employers, colleagues and allies become more confident about the way they support disabled colleagues and employees, and carers, and makes it easier for disabled people and carers to speak up about the support and adjustments they need in order to make the contributions they know they are capable of.

Check out our IP Ability articles, blogs, events and interviews below. For easier scanning, we have divided them into the following broad topic headings: Neurodivergence; Health conditions; Carers; Disability awareness, confidence and pride; Inclusivity, accessibility and adjustments.

We are grateful to all of the third party publications listed below for helping us to promote the great work that IP Ability are doing. We hope it empowers more people to get involved in the campaign for change. If you can help us with future articles, blogs or other publicity, please contact IPAbility [email protected]

Neurodivergence

• Knowing Me, Knowing You? ADHD and the IP profession – blog and recording of a CIPA and IP Ability panel discussion exploring ADHD (June 2024)
• A distinctive way of thinking: why the neurodivergent brain can be invaluable to the legal profession – First of a three-part article series from IP Ability committee member Sophia Karim of D Young & Co as part of ADHD awareness month (October 2022).
• Perfect grades = perfect brain? – second of Sophia’s three-part ADHD awareness article series (October 2022).
• Neurodivergence: a threat to the ecosystem of an IP firm? – third of Sophia’s three-part ADHD awareness article series (October 2022).
• I blamed myself for my differences’: Neurodivergence and IP – Becky Campbell’s March article for World IP Review to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 2022)
• International stammering awareness day 2021 – an article by committee member Nick Fischer (October 2021)
• Hip hip hooray for autistic pride day! – an article by committee members Jonathan Andrews and Francesca Rivers (June 2021)
• Dyslexia and dyspraxia demystified – recording of webinar with CIPA (October 2020)
• Allies & Intersectionality – interview series by IP Inclusive: in Episode 3 Jonathan Andrews shared his experiences of being on the autism spectrum (July 2020)
• Sense check – cover story for CITMA Review, about supporting colleagues on the autism spectrum (February 2020)
• Colleagues on the autism spectrum – webinar recording (September 2019)

Health conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis – “snowflake disease” explained – one of three MS-focused articles by IP Ability committee member Debra Smith (May 2022)
• Multiple Sclerosis – real people – one of three MS-focused articles by IP Ability committee member Debra Smith (May 2022)
• World MS Day: my story – one of three MS-focused articles by IP Ability committee member Debra Smith (May 2022)
• Now you see it – a cover story about invisible disabilities in CITMA Review (November 2021)
• Perspective: Becky Campbell offers full disclosure – an article about invisible disabilities by committee member Becky Campbell (November 2021)
• Living with Multiple Sclerosis – a personal account – an article by committee member Debra Smith (May 2021)
• Epilepsy awareness – a short video which we created for “Purple Day” (26 March 2021)
• Understanding eating disorders – an article by Paula Camp, a records team manager at EIP (March 2021)
• Medical zebras: when stripes are hard to spot – an article about Ehlers Danlos syndrome by committee member Megan Rannard (January 2021)
• Invisible disabilities – webinar recording (September 2020)
• The Menopause: Potential Workplace Adjustments – an article summarising some adjustments an employer might make to support someone suffering from menopause symptoms (March 2020)
• Inclusivity and the menopause – webinar recording (February 2020)

Carers

• All you need to know about the Carer’s Leave Act – recording and slides from this webinar which discussed the legal provisions in the new act, how these intersect with other rights, and gave an employer’s view on best practice and a personal perspective (May 2024)
• Allies & Intersectionality – interview series by IP Inclusive: in Episode 4 Chris Clarke spoke about being a carer (September 2020)
• Spotlight on carers – an interview piece with three IP professionals about their personal experiences as carers (June 2020)

Disability awareness, confidence and pride

• Reading the room – blog and recording of this webinar which focused on the societal stigma associated with the terms ‘disabled’ and ‘disability’, with two speakers from the Law Society Disabled Solicitors Network committee, to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities (11th December 2023)
• How to be Disability Confident – and why it matters – blog and recording of this webinar which explained the government’s “Disability Confident” scheme (8 June 2023)
• Real lives: A Disability Pride Month Webinar – recording of this online panel discussion with solicitor Mark Blois and patent attorney Gemma Christie as they shared their experiences as disabled professionals in the legal industry (July 2022)
• What does disability look like? – a blog giving outcomes of a joint IP Ability and Women in IP coffee date discussion (May 2021)
• IP Ability: reflections on our first year – an article summarising IP Ability’s first year and signposting various topical resources (January 2021)
• Recording of the IP Ability meeting to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, including a review of our 2020 work (December 2020)
• An episode of CIPA’s “Two IPs in a Pod” – podcast discussing IP Ability’s background, activities and future plans (September 2020)
• Influential Women in IP 2020 – article in World IP Review which included contributions from IP Ability committee co-leads Marianne Privett and Francesca Rivers (June 2020)
• Tackling the stigma of disability in IP – article for World Trademark Review: also see our summary here (January 2020)
• IP Ability launch gathering – audio recording of the discussions at our 3 December 2019 launch event

Inclusivity, accessibility and adjustments

• Two IPs in a Pod podcast – Interview with IP Ability guests Marianne Privett, Chris Clark and George Lucas, who bring both a personal and professional perspective on disability inclusion and emphasize the crucial need for a more open and accessible environment within the IP profession (August 2024)
• Through a Different Lens: Vandita Chandrani – a recording of an IP & ME, IP Ability and Women in IP Lunch and Learn Event (July 2024)
• Online, but not forgotten – a blog and recording of this joint CIPA and IP Ability webinar, with guest speaker Chris Naylor from Bnode, exploring the challenges that disabled (including neurodivergent) people can face when interacting with online content (9 March 2023)
• Leaving no one behind – a blog and recording of an Inclusivity Unlocked! panel discussion on post-Covid inclusivity for under-represented groups, with input from IP Ability, IP Futures and Women in IP (September 2022)
• Response to the EPO’s consultation on its proposed new EQE framework – led by IP Ability and submitted by IP Inclusive (July 2022)
• How can you ensure you feel welcomed and included at work? – a guest blog post from IP Ability community member Trevor Walker, a freelance writer who holds a particular interest in employee welfare (July 2022)
• Be an (even better) ally to disabled people – a collection of suggestions from the IP Ability community (December 2021)
• IP Ability comments on e:EQE discussion paper – an article about the EPI’s online exam proposal (August 2021)
• ViCo and accessibility – IP Ability’s response to the EPO’s referral on “ViCo” oral proceedings (May 2021)
• Exam reasonable adjustments survey: IP Ability update – an article by committee member Vicki Barker (February 2021)
• COVID-19 and disability – an article exploring the additional challenges the virus and disease have brought for disabled people (November 2020)
• “Ask Me Anything” recordings – series by the IP Inclusive North of England network answering questions from diversity allies, several of which relate to supporting disabled people (October 2020)
• Diversity and inclusion: in-house perspectives and challenges – a World Trademark Review multi-page spread looking at all aspects of including disability (July 2020)
• Increased need for disability support in IP profession, shows IP Ability survey – an article for World Trademark Review on the results of IP Ability’s 2019 launch survey and the need for better disability support in the IP professions (July 2020)
• Working remotely: making it work – an article with some hints and tips from an IP Ability committee member for whom working remotely is no new thing (April 2020)
• Enabling not disabling webinar recording (July 2019)