The Disability Insight logo. A dark blue background with an orange block with an orange circle cut out the side, it's essentially a wonky I. In white text it says disability insight in large capitalised letters and below says in smaller white text "Evidence from experience"

Welcome to Disability Insight

Hello, I’m Catherine Hale. I’m a disabled research and policy consultant.

I founded Disability Insight to bring real-world experiences of work, health, disability and welfare to research programmes and policy discussions.

I work with academic research teams, Disabled People’s Organisations and NGOs, as well as driving my own research and thought leadership on energy-limiting conditions and Flex Plus working.

I passionately believe that social policy “problems” would look different if disabled people had the power to define, address and solve them.

A black background with brightly coloured outlines of people. One is a person with a cane, another a wheelchair user. Below is the phrase "nothing about us without us" in white text

Embed lived experience in your research and policy-making

Decades after the birth of disability rights, disabled people are still absent from the processes and institutions that shape our lives. I can help you embed disability insight into your research or policy-making from the outset — ensuring your language, concepts and methods align with the social model of disability to deliver real change.

Centre disability in flexible working

Disability inclusion at work. Disabled people rely on flexible working not as a perk, but as a necessity for participation and productivity. Building on my Flex Plus model and research with King’s College London, I can help you centre disability and health in your flexible work research or policies — improving retention, progression, and equity for all and opening doors to excluded talent.

A young white woman in headphones wearing a cost pale jumper sat in bed against some yellow pillows with a laptop and notepad on her lap
A black background with a large sunflower. Below in white text it says "making the invisible visible"

Include energy-limiting conditions in your accessibility and inclusion strategies

Make the invisible visible. Do your research questions or DEI strategies include people with energy-limiting conditions (ELC)? Around one in three disabled people lives with an ELC, yet stigma and disbelief mean this population remains overlooked and unaccounted for. As Founder of Chronic Illness Inclusion, I can partner with you to build accessibility and inclusion for people with ELCs into all aspects of your work.

Ensure disabled voices are heard

Reach diverse communities. Many teams want to work with disabled people but struggle to do so meaningfully. I bring both academic expertise and strong relationships with Disabled People’s Organisations to bridge that gap. Through projects such as Chronic Illness Inclusion, WISHES, and the Europe-wide WelfareExperiences project, I’ve successfully built inclusive engagement and coproduction methods that reach people and communities often left out.

6 colleagues are sat and stood around Catherine Hale while she holds the Flex Plus report.

Get in touch to discuss how Disability Insight can strengthen your next project — bringing lived experience and evidence together for more inclusive, impactful outcomes.