Inclusion Consultant: David Equality Hull-Watters

20/09/2026

My Son’s a Q***r (But What Can You Do?) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Every so often, I see a piece of theatre that connects unexpectedly with something I have been thinking, writing and talking about.

My Son’s a Q***r (But What Can You Do?) was one of those shows.

First and foremost, this is a beautifully crafted piece of theatre.

It is funny, joyous, intimate and incredibly moving.

Rob Madge takes something deeply personal — his childhood home videos, family memories, dressing up, and discovering who they were — and somehow makes it feel universally relatable.

I was particularly struck by the audience. Yes, as you’d expect, there were clearly many LGBTQIA+ people there, but the audience was hugely diverse in age and identity. Different generations were laughing at the same moments, becoming emotional at the same moments and recognising something of themselves in a story that, on the surface, might not look like their own.

Reflecting on why this might be, I believe that this is because Rob’s story is about being different, and feeling like an outsider.

It’s about the labels we’re given, the expectations placed upon us and the social conditioning that begins early in life, quietly teaching us what is considered “normal”, acceptable or expected.

And it’s about belonging.

These are themes I spend a great deal of time exploring through my work and, especially, while writing Never Blend In. One of the things I’ve increasingly come to understand is that fitting in isn’t the same as belonging.

Fitting in can mean learning which parts of ourselves to edit.

Which parts to make quieter.

Which parts might make other people uncomfortable.

Which parts we’re supposed to hide if we want to be accepted.

Belonging is different.

Belonging says: you can be here as you are.

And sometimes growing into ourselves means recognising that we don’t fit in — and discovering that this is absolutely OK.

We don’t have to spend our lives trying to squeeze ourselves into spaces, expectations or identities that were never designed for us.

There can be enormous freedom in finally understanding that the goal isn’t to become more like everybody else. It’s to fully know, love and accept the unique and wonderful person you already are.

But perhaps the aspect of My Son’s a Q***r that affected me most was the love running through it.

We watch a child exploring who they are, surrounded by family members who don’t appear to be trying to correct, diminish or redirect them.

They actively join in; making the costumes, learning their lines, holding the camera.

And, most importantly, they allow that child to explore who they are becoming.

That love and unconditional support feels incredibly significant.

Children are constantly learning about themselves through the reactions of the people around them. When they show us something of who they are, our response can help shape whether they learn to associate that part of themselves with pride and possibility — or with shame, fear and concealment.

Not every LGBTQIA+ person grows up surrounded by that kind of acceptance. Many of us have experienced, in different ways, the pressure to conform, to monitor ourselves or to work out which versions of ourselves are safest to reveal.

Perhaps that’s one reason watching this family say, essentially, “This is our child. Let’s celebrate them.” feels so powerful.

And I think that’s why the show reaches far beyond the LGBTQIA+ community.

You don’t have to share Rob’s identity or experiences to recognise the fundamental human need underneath them:

To be seen, loved and encouraged to become fully themselves

I came away thinking about something I’ve been learning repeatedly through writing Never Blend In: despite all the messages telling us who we’re supposed to become, perhaps many of us eventually discover that we were good enough all along.

We didn’t need to become better at blending in.

We needed spaces where we felt safe enough to stand out.

***r

18/09/2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Adverse Events by Parker Garrett

A Medical Thriller with Far More to Say Than You Might Expect

I genuinely loved Adverse Events. It drew me in quickly and became increasingly difficult to put down.

On the surface, it’s a fast-moving medical thriller, full of unanswered questions, institutional intrigue, ethical dilemmas and a growing sense that something isn’t quite right. But there’s much more going on here than that.

At the centre of the story is Ethan Marris, a research ethics and compliance specialist at St. Jerome’s Medical Center. Ethan really worked for me as the central character. He’s intelligent and principled, but also funny, vulnerable, flawed and occasionally infuriating — in other words, very human. I wasn’t simply following him through the mystery; I genuinely cared about what happened to him.

The supporting characters are equally strong. Maya and Julian bring warmth, humour and humanity, while the wider cast creates plenty of tension and uncertainty. I particularly enjoyed never feeling entirely certain where some of the characters or relationships might lead.

I also loved the LGBTQIA+ representation. It feels naturally integrated into the characters, their relationships and their lives rather than being added simply to make a point. There’s chemistry, humour and vulnerability, but also some interesting exploration of trust, power and belonging.

Then there’s GEORGE, the hospital’s AI system, which was one of my favourite elements of the book.

Rather than simply presenting technology as something inherently good or bad, Parker asks much more interesting questions about the relationship between technology and the human systems surrounding it. Technology may be extraordinarily powerful, but people still have to interpret information, exercise judgement, ask the right questions and decide what to do next.

That feels particularly relevant right now.

Perhaps because of the work I do around workplace culture, psychological safety and inclusion, I found myself thinking just as much about the culture of the organisation as I did about the unfolding mystery.

What happens when people become reluctant to question authority? What happens when uncomfortable questions challenge established ways of doing things? And what happens when protecting an institution and protecting the people within it don’t necessarily feel like the same thing?

There are some fascinating questions here about power, ethics, accountability, leadership and psychological safety. Policies, governance structures and ethical frameworks may look impressive on paper, but they ultimately depend upon people being willing and able to question, challenge and speak up.

That, for me, is where Adverse Events becomes much more than a medical thriller.

Parker Garrett draws on more than twenty years working across healthcare compliance, research ethics and organisational oversight, alongside a doctorate in bioethics, and that professional insight gives the world of the novel a real sense of authenticity. Importantly, though, it never feels as though you’re being given a lesson in healthcare ethics. The knowledge sits underneath the storytelling rather than overwhelming it.

The pacing is also extremely well handled. Parker reveals just enough to keep you questioning what is really happening, while steadily increasing the tension and stakes. There are some genuinely uncomfortable moments involving power, manipulation and trust, but they feel purposeful rather than gratuitous.

And thankfully, there’s plenty of humour and some wonderfully sharp dialogue. That humanity prevents what could easily have become a relentlessly dark or procedural story from ever feeling that way.

One of the things that stayed with me most was the importance of remaining curious when other people would rather you stopped asking questions.

It’s about recognising that ethics and accountability aren’t simply about policies, committees or processes. They’re about people — and about creating cultures where people have the psychological safety and courage to notice, question and challenge when something doesn’t feel right.

Intelligent, unsettling, thought-provoking, q***r and genuinely entertaining, Adverse Events works brilliantly as a page-turning medical thriller while also exploring much bigger questions about power, culture, ethics, belonging, trust and the courage to challenge what others may simply have learned to accept.

And perhaps the greatest compliment I can give the first book in a series is this: I’m invested in these characters now, and I absolutely want to know where Parker Garrett takes them next.

Highly recommended.

Find out more here:

https://parkergarrett.net/books/adverse-events/6c18e7bf-8085-4b09-81cc-eafc29b00ead

18/09/2026

How was your National Inclusion Week?

Mine has been pretty full-on — in the best possible way — and it’s been one of those weeks that has reminded me exactly why I love doing this work.

Different organisations, different people and very different conversations, but one question has run through pretty much everything I’ve done:

How do we move beyond simply talking about inclusion and create cultures where people genuinely experience it?

I started the week with an NHS Trust, working with a wonderfully engaged group of colleagues to explore LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

We talked about identities and intersectionality, challenged some of the myths, stereotypes and assumptions that can influence our interactions, and considered how language and everyday behaviours can either strengthen or undermine psychological safety and belonging. We also explored our responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and, importantly, what meaningful allyship actually looks like in practice.

Because LGBTQIA+ inclusion isn’t created by a Pride flag, a policy or an awareness month alone. All of those things can matter, but ultimately inclusion is experienced in ordinary moments between people — in the language we use, the assumptions we make, whose voices we listen to, whose experiences we take seriously and how we respond when somebody needs our support.

From there, the week moved into Disability Inclusion, continuing my work with a forward-looking tech consultancy.

This time we explored the Social Model of Disability, reasonable adjustments, accessibility and the ways our systems, environments and everyday behaviours can unintentionally create barriers. A big part of the conversation was about becoming more proactive, rather than waiting until somebody encounters a problem before thinking about what might need to change.

So rather than simply asking, “How do we accommodate someone?”, perhaps the better question is:

“What might be getting in the way of someone being able to participate, contribute and thrive — and what can we do differently?”

Before I knew it, Thursday had arrived and I was outside the confines of my home “office”, meeting the People Executive Team of a private healthcare provider to continue our Neurodiversity Awareness journey.

We delved deeper into what neuroinclusion means across the employee lifecycle and everyday HR practice, including reasonable adjustments as an ongoing people-management process and the important distinction between consistent processes and equitable outcomes.

We also looked beyond presenting issues around performance, attendance, conduct or communication and asked what else might be happening. Could a policy, process, environment or way of working actually be contributing to the difficulty?

That led us into a really important conversation about shifting from reactive case management towards earlier conversations, prevention and intervention — creating the conditions for people to thrive from the outset rather than waiting until something has gone wrong.

And, reflecting on the week, I think that’s the thread connecting all three conversations.

LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Disability inclusion. Neuroinclusion.

Different experiences, different identities and different barriers, but ultimately the same ambition: creating workplaces where people don’t simply have access to the room, but genuinely feel able to participate, contribute, belong and thrive once they’re there.

And that requires more than good intentions. It means thinking about our everyday behaviours, leadership, communication, policies and processes. It means having conversations earlier, questioning practices that may unintentionally create barriers and recognising that treating everybody exactly the same doesn’t necessarily create equitable outcomes.

Most importantly, inclusion isn’t a week.

National Inclusion Week gives us a valuable opportunity to start conversations, raise awareness and refocus attention, but the real work happens afterwards — in all the other weeks of the year, when inclusion becomes part of how we lead, manage, recruit, communicate, make decisions and respond when somebody needs something different.

That’s increasingly where my own work is focused: helping organisations move from awareness towards practical, sustainable cultural change — developing more inclusive leadership, psychological safety, manager confidence, employee wellbeing and engagement, and ultimately creating workplaces where people are more likely to stay, contribute and perform at their best.

So, as National Inclusion Week draws to a close, perhaps the question isn’t simply:

“What did we do for National Inclusion Week?”

Perhaps it’s:

“What are we going to do differently because of it?”

If your organisation is thinking about what comes next, I’d love to have a conversation.

No hard sell — just an informal chat about where you are now, where you’d like to be, and how I might be able to help you get there.

Explore my current workshops and programmes:

https://www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk/current-webinars-workshops

14/09/2026

Looking Beyond the Behaviour: What Might Self-Injurious Behaviour Be Communicating?

When a child or young person is hurting themselves, our understandable instinct is to focus on stopping the behaviour.

But sometimes an important first question is:

What might this behaviour be communicating?

For some neurodivergent children and young people, self-injurious behaviour may occur at times of significant distress, overwhelm or dysregulation — particularly when they are unable to communicate what they need in another way.

There may be many contributing factors, including:

• Anxiety or frustration

• Sensory overload

• Communication difficulties

• Changes to routines or expectations

• Too many demands

• Tiredness, hunger or physical discomfort

• Feeling a loss of control

• Accumulated overwhelm

And the person themselves may not necessarily be able to explain why it is happening — particularly when they are already overwhelmed.

Read more and find invaluable resources and support here:

https://www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk/looking-beyond-the-behaviour-what-might-self-injurious-behaviour-be-communicating

11/09/2026

Thankful Friday - who are you thankful for this week?

There’s something particularly special about holding a book in your hands when you know a little piece of your own story is contained within its pages.

My copy of Gary Numan – A People’s History by Richard Bowes has arrived, and I’m absolutely thrilled to see my contribution included.

My essay reflects on neurodivergence and the importance of finding artists and musicians we can relate to — people whose words, music and openness can help us recognise something of ourselves.

For me, that connection with Gary’s work has included our shared neurodivergence, but also his willingness to speak with vulnerability and honesty about fear, love, anxiety, fragility and mental health.

Sometimes finding someone who articulates experiences that feel familiar can be incredibly powerful. It reminds us that we’re not alone in how we experience or navigate the world.

Gary Numan – A People’s History brings together the memories and reflections of more than 500 fans, friends and colleagues, charting Gary’s extraordinary career from its beginnings to the present day.

Fully authorised by Gary, the 498-page hardback features more than 250 photographs and a foreword by Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

A wonderful celebration of an artist whose work has meant so much to so many — and this Thankful Friday, I’m incredibly grateful to Richard for choosing to include my story among them.

07/09/2026

National Inclusion Week starts next Monday — 14 September!

So, if you’ve been meaning to organise a workshop, webinar or People & Culture session to mark it, this is probably the moment to get something in the diary — before “we really should do something for National Inclusion Week” suddenly becomes “Oh… it’s National Inclusion Week!”

This year’s theme is Build Trust. Navigate Change. And there could hardly be a more relevant time to explore how we create workplaces where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive.

I offer practical, engaging and action-focused sessions covering People & Culture, psychological safety, inclusive leadership, communication, recruitment, neurodiversity, disability confidence, employee experience and leadership development — all tailored to your organisation.

20% Direct Booking Discount — New Clients
25% Returning Client Discount

There’s still time — but availability is becoming limited, so if you’d like to do something meaningful for National Inclusion Week, now’s the time to get it booked.

Find out more on my National Inclusion Week page or get in touch for an informal, no-obligation chat.

Let’s get something in the diary.

Find out more here https://www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk/national-inclusion-week and contact for an informal, no obligation chat.

04/09/2026

From 14–20 September, organisations across the UK will come together to mark National Inclusion Week under this year’s theme:

Build Trust. Navigate Change.

Would you like to explore a wide range of practical, action-focused workshops and webinars designed to strengthen leadership, improve team performance, support wellbeing, develop talent and build healthy workplace cultures?

My sessions cover People & Culture, communication, psychological safety, recruitment, neurodiversity, disability confidence, employee experience and leadership development, with tailored programmes to meet the needs of your organisation.

20% Direct Booking Discount (New Clients)

25%. Returning Client Discount

Find out more here https://www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk/national-inclusion-week and contact for an informal, no obligation chat.

National Inclusion Week is the perfect opportunity to strengthen trust, spark meaningful conversations and create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard and able to thrive. Discover inspiring keynotes, practical workshops and interactive webinars tailored to help your organisation build inclusi...

04/09/2026

Cargill - Thankful Friday 🙏 | Creating Respectful Workplace Cultures

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day with colleagues at Cargill, delivering two sessions on Creating Respectful Workplace Cultures.

And this Thankful Friday, I’m feeling particularly grateful for the people who made the day such a positive experience.

One of the things I love about facilitating this kind of work is that no two sessions are ever the same. We can have a carefully planned slide deck and activities ready to go, but sometimes we need to be completely organic — listening to what is happening in the room, responding to what feels most relevant to participants and allowing the conversations that matter to develop.

Yesterday was a great example of that.

I thoroughly enjoyed both sessions and really appreciated the genuine interest, openness and willingness of colleagues to contribute as we explored respect, workplace behaviours, psychological safety and the part we can all play in creating cultures where people feel valued, included and able to speak up.

A huge thank you to Emma, Siân and Philip for coordinating everything, and a particularly big thank you to Siân, who looked after me brilliantly throughout the day and made sure everything ran smoothly.

And I have to give a special mention to the lovely receptionist who gave me the warmest welcome when I arrived and then, at the end of the day, went out of her way to help me work out how to get back to Lincoln.

It might seem like a small thing, but those moments of warmth, kindness and looking out for someone matter. In fact, they’re a pretty good demonstration of exactly what we’d been talking about all day — workplace culture is created through the everyday behaviours and interactions we have with one another.

So, on this Thankful Friday, thank you to everyone at Cargill who contributed to such an engaging, welcoming and positive day.

I have a feeling the conversation won’t end here…

02/09/2026

From Trauma to Triumph: A lived experience of Tourette Syndrome, late diagnosis, and finding purpose by Paul Stevenson is an incredibly personal and engaging account of what it means to spend much of your life knowing that you are different, but not having the language, understanding or support to explain why.

What makes Paul’s story particularly powerful is its honesty. It doesn’t romanticise Tourette Syndrome or neurodivergence, nor does it reduce his experience to a simple story of overcoming adversity. Instead, Paul takes us through the confusion of childhood, the impact of being misunderstood in education and employment, the complicated emotions surrounding his diagnosis at 46, and the gradual process of understanding and accepting himself.

There are some difficult and important passages, particularly those exploring coprolalia and the damaging stereotypes that continue to surround Tourette Syndrome. They provide a valuable reminder that behaviours viewed from the outside as disruptive, inappropriate or even threatening can have an entirely different explanation. Paul’s experiences demonstrate just how damaging assumptions can become when we respond to behaviour without first seeking to understand the person.

But From Trauma to Triumph is also wonderfully hopeful. I particularly enjoyed the sections exploring photography and creativity, and the way Paul shows what can happen when we stop concentrating solely on what someone struggles to do and instead create environments in which their interests, abilities and different ways of thinking can flourish.

As his story progresses, there is a noticeable shift from being misunderstood to becoming an advocate, educator and speaker. That gives the book a purpose beyond autobiography. Paul uses his experiences to challenge stereotypes, encourage employers and educators to think differently, and reassure other neurodivergent people that understanding yourself later in life can still be transformative.

Perhaps the message I took most strongly from From Trauma to Triumph is that inclusion isn’t about trying to make people fit environments that were never designed with them in mind. Sometimes we need to change the environment, our expectations and, most importantly, our understanding of one another. That comes through particularly strongly when Paul reflects on his work with employers and the importance of understanding, flexibility and listening.

Personal, vulnerable, occasionally painful but overwhelmingly hopeful, Paul Stevenson’s From Trauma to Triumph is an important lived-experience contribution to conversations about Tourette Syndrome, late diagnosis, neurodivergence and belonging.

Above all, it asks us to look beyond the tics, labels and assumptions and see the whole person.

A moving, thought-provoking and worthwhile read.

01/09/2026

PART TEN: Summer holidays are almost over but this post and the previous 9, or the blog (linked below) offer advice that can be useful for any holiday period.

Supporting Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent Children Through the School Holidays - A Different Kind of Summer.

For many children, the summer holidays are presented as something to look forward to: six weeks without school, more freedom, holidays, days out and opportunities to spend time with family and friends.

For an autistic child, summer can absolutely be enjoyable too. But it can also bring challenges that are easily overlooked.

School, despite all the demands it may bring, often provides structure and predictability. There are familiar routines, known expectations and recognisable patterns to the day. When the summer holidays arrive, much of that can disappear overnight.

Suddenly, days may be less predictable. There may be holidays, visitors, unfamiliar places, busy attractions, changes to mealtimes and sleep routines, increased socialising and the expectation that children should be constantly doing something because they are "on holiday".
For some autistic children, that can be exhausting.

Perhaps we need to rethink what a successful summer actually looks like.

Let their summer look like their summer.

Perhaps one of the biggest adjustments adults can make is letting go of our own idea of what childhood summers are supposed to look like.

For one child, the perfect summer might involve travelling, adventure and being surrounded by people.
For another, it might mean familiar food, favourite clothes, long periods engaged in a special interest, fewer social demands, predictable routines and plenty of time at home.
Neither is inherently better.

Neuroinclusion isn't about helping autistic children become better at tolerating environments designed without them in mind. It is about recognising barriers, respecting individual needs and being willing to change what we do too.

So perhaps one question can guide parents and carers throughout the summer:
Don't just ask, "How can I help my child cope with this environment?"
Ask, "What can I change about the environment so they don't have to work so hard to cope?"
That small shift can make a very big difference.

Read the full blog here:

Neurodiversity, SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disability) and LGBTQ+ Specialist offering workshops and speaking services to enhance employment wellbeing. An Inclusion Consultant, with 25+ years of experience, offering bespoke training for staff within your organisation to further support your We...