Our Social Mission:
Social Inclusion for Disabled People, by Disabled People
We champion social inclusion for disabled people, by disabled people. As a disabled-led social-profit organisation, we deliver CPD-accredited training to empower, challenge stereotypes, and create inclusion pathways. Through education, advocacy, and partnerships, we drive lasting social change.
Our Vision
Purpose: We believe passionately that every individual has the human rights to live a full, educated, and inclusive life.
Our Core Values
At Toucan Diversity Training CIC, our values guide everything we do:
Led by Experience and a Belief in Disability Rights
We believe the most effective disability training comes from those with lived experience, ensuring real social impact.
Our values are rooted in the Social Model of Disability, which recognises that it is society—not the individual—that creates disabling barriers. Alongside this, we are guided by the Rights Model of Disability, which affirms that disabled people are entitled to full and equal participation in all aspects of life, as a matter of human rights.
Educating and Raising Awareness:
We are committed to increasing understanding of the challenges faced by disabled people through high-quality CPD-accredited training and advocacy and education. Thereby empowering more disabled people to thrive. We also offer individualised development plans for people who are part of Toucan so that they can take the next step to achieve their own personal ambitions.
Open and Transparent:
As a user-led, inclusive, and social-profit organisation, we prioritise honesty, partnership work, and accountability in all our efforts.
Equality and Respect:
We are dedicated to treating every individual with fairness and dignity, regardless of disability, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation in keeping with the Equality Act 2010 and driven by our Equity Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
These values drive our mission to promote social inclusion to build a more equal society for disabled people. We also integrate into all our work the quote: “Nothing about us – without us!”
Our Story
Toucan Diversity Training CIC was founded in 2013 by Madissa Asgari, BA (Hons), MA, a visionary leader with a diverse ethnic background who faced significant disability discrimination in the job market. Determined to create opportunities not only for herself but also for other disabled people, Madissa established Toucan Diversity Training CIC to face these challenges head-on.
Though we faced a profound loss with the passing of our founder in October 2020, Madissa’s mission continues to drive us forward.
Social Enterprise
Any surplus or profit made is reinvested in the social objects of Toucan Diversity. Our business has a clear environmental mission set out in our strategic business plan.
We are independent of any goverment funding
We are controlled in the interests of our ‘social mission’
We are members of Social Enterprise UK, NCVO, FSB,
and are registered as a DPO with Disability Rights UK
We are regulated by the CIC Regulator, the ICO, and the Fundraising Regulator. Toucan Diversity has commissioned an unaffiliated CIC, Owl XL who measure our social impact.
We are a registered CPD Training Provider. Toucan Diversity has been a registered Disability Confident Leader since 2018.
What is a Community Interest Company?
A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a type of company introduced by the Government under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good. This means Toucan Diversity can never be sold for profit. You can read more about CICs by clicking here.