About Richard
Clinical expertise with a commercial perspective.
Richard Harvey holds a PgDip in Occupational Therapy and a PgCert in Postural Management for People with Complex Disabilities. His clinical background includes experience in paediatrics, wheelchair services and postural management for people with complex disabilities.
Over the course of his career, Richard has worked across both clinical and commercial roles, combining an understanding of complex disability, posture, function and participation with more than a decade of experience within the postural management, adaptive equipment and assistive technologies sector.
His experience spans product development, clinical education, training, sales, marketing, business development and commercial strategy. This gives Richard a perspective that connects the different people involved in bringing specialist equipment and services to market: the person using the equipment, their family or caregivers, the clinicians supporting them, the commercial teams responsible for delivering the solution, and the manufacturers designing and developing the products.
Throughout his career, one principle has remained consistent: the child or individual using the solution should remain at the centre of every decision. Richard believes this person-centred approach not only contributes to better outcomes and quality of life for people with complex disabilities, but also leads to better products, stronger services and more sustainable commercial success.
Clinical background
Richard’s clinical background is grounded in understanding the person as a whole: their posture, function, environment, goals, participation and the practical barriers that may affect their independence and quality of life.
His experience includes working within paediatric services, wheelchair services and specialist postural management, supporting people with complex disabilities and developing an understanding of the clinical reasoning involved in the assessment, selection and configuration of specialist equipment.
This foundation continues to influence the way Richard approaches product development, training, business development and commercial strategy.
Rather than beginning with the features of a product, his holistic approach involves understanding the needs of the user, their families and caregivers, and the environments where equipment is needed.
This connection between clinical need and commercial decision-making is at the heart of Access Parity.
Commercial and industry experience
Richard brings more than a decade of experience working within the postural management, adaptive equipment and assistive technologies sector, progressing through clinical, commercial, senior and leadership roles.
Previous positions have included:
- Specialist Occupational Therapist
- Clinical Training Manager
- Clinical Programmes Lead
- Business Development Manager
- Head of Clinical Business Development
His experience has involved working closely with…
His experience has involved working closely with sales, marketing, product development, clinical and senior commercial teams, as well as manufacturers, distributors, clinicians and customers across the sector.
Areas of experience include:
- Business development and commercial strategy
- Sales development and customer engagement
- Product and market development
- Clinical and product education
- Consultative selling
- Development and delivery of training programmes
- Product launches and market positioning
- Working with manufacturers and distributors
- Supporting commercial teams to better understand clinical needs
- Translating complex clinical requirements into meaningful product, sales and commercial strategies
- Connecting customer and clinician feedback with product development and business opportunities
Having worked across both sides of the clinical-commercial relationship, Richard understands the challenges that can arise when clinical priorities, product development and commercial objectives are not fully aligned.
He also understands the opportunity created when they are.
Bringing those perspectives together can lead to better-informed teams, stronger products, clearer commercial strategies and, ultimately, better outcomes for the people those products and services are intended to support.
Why Access Parity?
Access Parity was founded around a simple belief:
People with disabilities and complex needs should have access to excellent products, knowledgeable professionals and high-quality practice that enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes.
There are exceptional people, products and ideas throughout the postural management, adaptive equipment and assistive technologies sector. But excellent products do not automatically reach the people who need them, and knowledge does not automatically translate into better practice.
Similarly, commercial success and good clinical outcomes do not need to be competing priorities.
Access Parity believes the strongest organisations are those that understand the people they serve, develop products around genuine needs, invest in the knowledge of their teams and communicate the value of their solutions effectively.
Access Parity exists to help make that happen — supporting organisations to develop better solutions, strengthen their teams, identify commercial opportunities and help high-quality products and expertise reach the people who can benefit from them.
Unlocking potential in people, products and practice.
Richard’s approach
Person-centred
The child or individual using the solution remains at the centre of the decision-making process. Commercial success should ultimately support better outcomes, participation and quality of life.
Clinically informed
Drawing on Richard’s clinical training and experience to understand the reasoning behind assessment, prescription and product selection — not simply the features of the equipment.
Commercially practical
Turning ideas and opportunities into realistic actions that can support growth, strengthen teams and create sustainable commercial results.
Bridging clinical and commercial thinking
Helping clinicians, product teams, sales teams and manufacturers better understand one another and connect clinical need with product and commercial strategy.
Collaborative and straightforward
Working alongside existing teams, drawing on their expertise and making complex clinical, product and commercial issues easier to understand, communicate and act upon.