Disability Action Yorkshire Welcomes New Trustee

10/04/2024

A former senior manager at a major high street bank is applying all his skills and experience gained over 30 years in customer services to help improve inclusion and accessibility for disabled people in the region.

Robert Kernaghan rose to be head of customer relations and complaints at first direct before recently retiring; he has now been appointed as a trustee of Disability Action Yorkshire, the Harrogate-based charity that supports disabled people and aims to help them achieve their aspirations in life.

Robert, who has used a wheelchair since contracting polio as a youngster, brings a wealth of customer service knowledge and experience to his new role at the charity, which also fulfils his strongly held desire to help disabled people like himself. 

He says: “I knew I wanted to do something, but something that I could actually add value to, feel passionate about and that had some kind of purpose around it. Disability Action Yorkshire does and has all those things. 

“When I met Jackie Snape the chief executive, I could see that the passion was there. They are all focused on doing the right thing and they have a sense of purpose about what they are doing. It is an exciting time to be part of it.”

Robert is committed to the improvement of accessibility of public transport for disabled people, which has come about through years of less than satisfactory experiences of his own as a wheelchair user, be it taking taxis or travelling by bus, train or air.

He is interested in highlighting the physical challenges faced by disabled people such as the state of the pavements, which can make using a wheelchair hazardous. Robert is passionate about more political issues too such as means testing and also societal attitudes such as the way disabled people are sometimes treated when accessing leisure venues, workplaces and medical services. He is keen to support disabled people to achieve their life goals and career ambitions by helping to remove barriers and being a good example.

Robert received treatment last year for a number of health issues after spending six weeks in intensive care. He now supports the NHS in its research on ICU delirium prevention and treatment of this condition.

On a personal level, Robert lives in Harrogate with his wife and two daughters, and is a keen Leeds Rhinos supporter.

Disability Action Yorkshire, located on Hornbeam Park, has hugely welcomed Robert’s arrival as a trustee. Chief executive Jackie Snape said: “We are delighted to have Robert on board with us as a trustee. His vast experience in understanding and helping people to resolve problems has given him a clear idea of what could and should be done for disabled people.

As a charity that aims to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing and provides a range of high-quality services which support them, we know that Robert’s experience, passion and commitment in areas such as public transport accessibility will make a huge difference and we welcome him to Disability Action Yorkshire.”