Dominic Coleman, a wheelchair user and Habinteg Housing Association tenant, has seen his career go from strength to strength since he graduated from Centre for Accessible Environment’s (CAE) Pathways Academy in 2025.
Pathways Academy is a free training programme designed to help disabled Londoners, aged 18 and above, kickstart a career in access and inclusive design. The award-winning programme is run by CAE, part of Habinteg, and is funded by City Bridge Foundation.
North London-based Dominic, 56, is the first Habinteg tenant to complete the programme and go on to run his own business.
Since graduating last year, Dominic has taken on paid accessibility consultancy work on a part-time basis. He balances this work with voluntary roles in the inclusion field.
“Pathways is an incredibly enjoyable programme that led me to the work I’m doing today. It’s given me the confidence to launch my own business,” says Dominic.
Lived experience
Dominic is a longtime trustee of Regain Sports, a charity dedicated to improving the independence of people who have become tetraplegic through a sports injury. The charity previously supported Dominic following a diving accident at the age 23 that left him tetraplegic.
His desire to help others is also why, for the past few years, Dominic has been part of Transport for London’s (TfL) inclusion advisory group. He shares his lived experience as a wheelchair user with TfL staff who are examining how planned TfL diversions might affect disabled people.
Dominic applied for Pathways after a post about the programme on social media caught his eye.
“I found that Pathways could fit perfectly around my other work commitments,” he explains. “It was easy to manage, and I really enjoyed the mix of online and in-person days.
“The training sessions were nicely informal, people felt comfortable in having conversations that were off topic, which led to some interesting discussions… no-one felt they couldn’t contribute.”
Informal training
Pathways is a nine-month course with 22 days of training that covers a different topic each month including principles of inclusive design, access auditing, design and neurodiversity, accessible housing, plus more. It also provides support with developing important communication skills.
Dominic says he enjoyed meeting the other students and trainers during the in-person days. He liked the relaxed style of the training sessions and learning about anti-discrimination legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and Building Regulations for the built environment.
“The training was particularly helpful as it has directly supported me with my current work. Thanks to Pathways, I can provide advice around accessibility in technical terms, in addition to my lived experience knowledge,” he says.
“For example, I’ve learnt about the recommended street kerb height for wheelchair users. Being able to use this information to support my work helped increase my confidence hugely. The programme has been empowering, and I encourage others to apply, particularly those with similar injuries to me,” he adds.
“So far, around five beneficiaries of Regain Sport have become Pathway graduates, and I hope this number will increase.”
Supporting others
Looking to the future, Dominic plans to work towards a National Register of Access Consultants accreditation.
He is also creating a short course for Regain Sport that aims to be a stepping stone to an inclusive design course, such as Pathways.
“The goal is to provide disabled people with support and guidance around how they can use their skills and knowledge in accessibility effectively, and find paid employment opportunities,” he says.
“If disabled people are helping organisations to become more inclusive through their lived experience, they should be paid for it as it’s a valuable skill.”
Watch the Pathways Academy video and visit the Pathways Academy, to learn more about the programme or email pathways@cae.org.uk.