Tom Jamison has edited Able Magazine for the last eight years, so we were all thrilled to see that he’d been nominated as one of Britain’s most influential disabled people!

Tom enjoyed a reception at the House of Lords where many of the other ‘hundred’ were present to celebrate each other’s success. Indeed, Tom said that he was all-but surrounded by ‘Able friends’ bumping into people that had contributed to Able Magazine recently, including Chloe Tear, Heather Lacey and Martin Sibley – who join him on the list. (We should also mention other contributors: Shani Dhanda, Frances Ryan and Holly Tuke, also included.)

The Shaw Trust Disability Power List 100 is an annual publication of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK and was this year topped by Baroness Jane Campbell who has spent a lifetime campaigning for equal rights for disabled people.

Tom was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis just before joining the commercial team at Able Magazine. A few self-authored articles later, he was taken on as a staff writer, rising in 2011 to become the editor.

Thanks to his professional reputation, and being a visible disability ambassador at events, the magazine’s team is often one of the first calls for media outlets looking for input or advice concerning disability issues. Tom has become a regular media commentator, doing interviews for BBC radio programmes such as You and Yours, local radio and television broadcasts, as well as independent and hospital radio programmes. He has contributed to the Scottish Sunday Express, the Metro website and Travel Weekly, and was the focus of a fundraising video for the Journalists’ Charity.

Tom is widely known and trusted in disability circles, with friends involved in every aspect of the disability community. This means he’s in demand by the organisers of events like the National Diversity Awards, Creative Diversity Network Awards, Naidex Awards, Remap Awards and organisations such as Special Olympics GB.

Tom said: “It’s my privilege to continue to promote and celebrate the incredible achievements of disabled people; in fact: it’s my pleasure and my duty!”

He added: “I knew next to nothing about disability when I started at Able Magazine but I set myself to learn and understand more. In no small way, my work helped me to discover more about how to live life with my own developing challenges since, of course, there’s no handbook for being a disabled person.

I do think that having to learn for myself puts me in a position where I can empathise with people dealing with their own challenges and inspires me to signpost them towards the answers and solutions they’re looking for.

It’s only a pity that the rest of the Able team aren’t mentioned. I certainly didn’t get on the Power 100 list purely because of my own talents.”

The full Shaw Trust Disability Power List 100 can be found on: www.disabilitypower100.com