As everyone at Phab marks Disabled Access Day, we wanted to update you on an incredibly busy – and energising – start to the year for the Access Consulting and Training Services arm of Phab (Phab ACTS). Our team, led by our Co-CEO, Mik Scarlet, has been immersed in a project that sits right at the heart of Phab’s mission: improving access, strengthening inclusion, and helping to build an inclusive world.
And with almost 70 years of pioneering inclusion there couldn’t be a better fit.
Co‑production in action: Partnering with the City of York Council
At the end of 2025, the ACTS team were a regular visitor to York as we put the finishing touches on a training package for the City of York Council, ready for delivery at the start of 2026. It was fantastic to be part of such a major project… and when we say major, we really mean it! This was probably one of the biggest training deliveries of its kind: more than 500 people, all in less than three months.
Those early planning meetings set the tone and, rather than simply delivering a standardised programme, Phab ACTS worked collaboratively with the council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team and, crucially, with the disability panels the council supports.
Meeting these passionate groups was a real honour and it also enabled our ACTS team to create an entirely new section of training based around how to effectively communicate with disabled people which will be added to our modular system too. It was especially helpful to meet with the York Learning Disabilities Panel and hear what they wanted from the training, which will also influence future training projects.
This genuine co‑production meant that our modular training system could be carefully adapted and enriched with bespoke sections, shaped directly by the lived experience and expertise of disabled people in the York community.
Flexible training, built around real needs
The Phab ACTS modular training system is designed to make high‑quality, flexible training accessible to more organisations. Each module explores a different aspect of inclusion – from Models of Disability and Barriers to Inclusion to Empowering Language, and clients can choose the content “as is” for maximum affordability or work with us to shape a tailored package that fits their needs precisely.
For the City of York Council, this combination of structure and flexibility proved essential. After some helpful back‑and‑forth with David and Laura from the EDI team, the training package was finalised, ready for delivery to start in January.
Mik spent two weeks in York to kick things off, supported by ACTS trainer, Libby Welsh, who took over delivery. Between them they trained more than 400 managers, plus over 35 elected members who joined a slightly modified version of the course. Two online catch‑up sessions rounded off the programme in March which successfully completed one of the most ambitious inclusion‑focused training rollouts by a local authority.
This project has been huge, and something that very few councils or training companies have attempted before, but it’s vital work if we’re going to build a more inclusive world. Mik, together with everyone at Phab ACTS would like to thank the City of York Council for undertaking such a major piece of work and for choosing us as their delivery partner.
And the story doesn’t end there. ACTS is already in discussion to return later this year to deliver department‑specific training, helping teams embed the learning and deepen their inclusive practice.
Back to the hills: ACTS returns to the Chilterns
As we take a moment to catch our breath, the completion of the York project coincides with more exciting news. Chilterns National Landscape has recommissioned ACTS to create another seven access guides and access videos as part of their ongoing work to help disabled and older people explore the Chiltern Hills with confidence.
We’re really proud of the first seven guides already produced, now available here, and the next set of locations will be developed over the coming months ahead of the website’s official launch in June. And yes, that means even more rushing around the Chilterns for our ACTS team – auditing, filming, photographing, and enjoying the spring countryside while we do it.
We’re going to be busy bees, but we love it!
Interested to explore how Phab ACTS can support you?
If you’d like to explore how Phab ACTS can support your organisation – whether you’re a business, a charity, a public body, or something in between – we’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at: acts@phab.org.uk