Reach: Collected Stories is an Asist project about people in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent sharing their stories. In these one-to-one interviews, people talk about their lives and their experiences - good, bad and everything in between. The project highlights the importance of listening to people, and giving them the opportunity to share their stories, in their words.

 

The Reach: Collected Stories project started in 2022, funded by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board. These videos are shown at the beginning of the ICB's Learning Disability, Autism and Down's Syndrome Partnership Board to 'ground' the discussion and focus attention on real people and their lived experience. The videos are now shown in other meetings and forums and on the project's YouTube channel.

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https://www.youtube.com/@reachcollectedstories/videos

In November 2025 Asist made a video about Barriers to Employment faced by disabled and neurodivergent people. The result was a 38 minute long video, part of which was shown at the November Board meeting

 

We've split the video into three parts, this part is a case study.​

Barriers to Employment - Part Three

 

This part includes issues about Reasonable Adjustments and internal processes.​

Barriers to Employment - Part Two

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This part includes issues about Transport, physical access, applications and interviews and employers attitudes.​

Barriers to Employment - Part One

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Floss talks about her experiences in employment and highlights some of the issues and barriers faced by a person with a disability.​​​

Reach Collected Stories - Floss's Story

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​​​​Gemma talks about life with epilepsy, the importance of family and having a good, supportive service to help build confidence. ​​​​

Reach Collected Stories - Gemma's Story

 

​​​​​​Charlie talks about their experiences at work, their childhood and their ambitions for the future.​​

​Reach Collected Stories - Charlie's Story​​​​​

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​​​​​​Cody talks about education,  putting the person at the centre of their care and support and the importance of listening to people and their support networks around them.​​​​​

Reach Collected Stories - Cody's Story

 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Niamh talks about their experiences at University and how difficult daily tasks and admin can be for some autistic people.​​​​

​​Reach Collected Stories - Niamh's Story​

 

​​​​​​​Mia shares her traumatic experience of school, being diagnosed with and living with autism and CPTSD and how it has driven her to advocate for people and strive to make the world more accessible for everyone. ​​

​Reach Collected Stories - Mia's Story​​​​​​

 

Thomas talks about his disability and his love of dance and theatre and how it has made him more confident.​​

Reach Collected Stories - Thomas's Story​​​

 

We revisit Larz to see how things have moved on from last years Collected Story video and Larz talks to us about his work as an Oliver McGowan trainer. ​

Reach Collected Stories - Larz's Story Part 2​​​

 

​​​​​​​Rowena talks about her experiences at school and college and the importance of volunteering in her life.  

Reach Collected Stories - Rowena's Story​​

 

​​​Simon talks about his life with a learning disability and explains how he has qualified as a mentor and advocate. Simon delivers disability awareness training to the Police and looks forward to a role as trainer delivering learning disability awareness on the mandatory Oliver McGowan training programme for healthcare and NHS staff across Staffordshire. ​​

Reach Collected Stories - Simon's Story​​​​

 

Liz talks about her experiences of autism, getting a late diagnosis and how her life has changed since being diagnosed.​​

Reach Collected Stories - Liz's Story​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Salwa talks about what it is like to live with autism and how having a diagnosis in later life "triggered an emotional rollercoaster" for her. ​​

​Reach Collected Stories - Salwa's Story​​​​​​​​​​

 

Charlotte, Daniel, Elizabeth and Shaun talk about the service they go to - EqualBase in the Staffordshire Moorlands - and what it means to them.​​​​

Reach Collected Stories - EqualBases Story​​​​​​

 

John and Lynn are married and live together in Stoke-on-Trent. They both have a learning disability. In this video, they talk about support, getting married and what married life is like for them. John is the former co-chair of the Stoke-on-Trent Learning Disability Partnership Board. He talks about his role representing other people with learning disabilities and working in co-production.​​​

Reach Collected Stories - John and Lynn

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Larz lives in the Staffordshire Moorlands. He has Asperger's Syndrome and Dyslexia. In this interview he talks about how difficult it's been to get the right support with his education.​

​​Reach Collected Stories - Larz's Story Part 1​​​

 

Margaret lives in extra care housing in Stoke-on-Trent. She has a learning disability. In this video, she talks about moving home and gives us a tour of the building.​

Reach Collected Stories - Margaret's Story​​​​​​