Thrilled to Join the Disability Power 100 2024

I am thrilled to share my inclusion in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 2024 list as a Grassroots Community Activist!

This recognition as one of the 100 most influential disabled individuals in the UK is an incredible honour. The awards are publicly nominated and judged by an exceptional panel of 25 disabled leaders, including Dr Shani Dhanda, David Clark of Paralympics GB, and Coronation Street actor Cherylee Houston. To have my work acknowledged by such an esteemed group means the world to me.

My Contributions to Disability Advocacy

For years, I’ve worked passionately to challenge perceptions of disability and dismantle stereotypes. My projects span activism, research, creative writing, and the arts, all driven by a vision of creating lasting, positive change.

Disability Activism and Research

• Engage Fellow 2024-25: Exploring creative public engagement methods with initiatives like a disabled-led public engagement network and the 2025 Transformational Inclusion Symposium.
• Sensing Nature Project: Research Fellow heading the Creative Writing, Disability and Climate Precarity workstream, hosted by Exeter University.
• Leadership and Research at Bath Spa University:
  • Co-founder of the Disabled Staff Network and the Disability Action Group
  • D4D project: Past Associate Research Fellow on Disability and Community: Dis/engagement, Dis/enfranchisement, Dis/parity and Dissent.
  • Empathy and Writing Research Group: Co-founder and Co-chair.

Creative Writing Labs

• One-to-one online sessions that explore creative and reflexive writing techniques to spark imagination and enhance writing skills.
• Group workshops on themes including story, plot, poetry, dialogue, the impact of metaphor, using the senses, and writing for social change.

Novels and Stories

• Witch Girl: A gripping crime thriller about street children in Lusaka, Zambia, blending AIDS activism, witchcraft, religious extremism and romance.
• Cull: A comic novel about a visually disabled journalist and her funny dog navigating the UK’s attitude to the disabled, described by Graeae as “a must-read to re-stoke the fire of protest”.
• Short stories, including Rictus (Willesden Herald New Short Stories 10) and Minoan Snake Goddess-inspired pieces (Many Lives of a Snake Goddess Project).

Film and Photography

• On The Frontline: A documentary showcasing patients’ struggles at Zambia’s Mother of Mercy Hospice and influencing advocacy for the rollout of free antiretroviral treatments in 2005.
• Choka! – Get Lost!: A documentary about Lusaka’s street children, which won awards for its sensitive portrayal of HIV/AIDS orphans.
• The Blind Photographer: Featuring my work among a vibrant exploration of photography by blind and partially sighted artists.

Why the Disability Power 100 is So Important

The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 celebrates ambition, achievement, and the power to challenge societal perceptions of disability. As its Head, Alona De Havilland, explains, it highlights the immense talent and contributions of disabled individuals across all fields.

Being included on this list inspires both celebration and reflection. It is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come in advocating for greater inclusion, accessibility, and equity, yet also how much remains to be done.

I am honoured to stand alongside extraordinary leaders in architecture, healthcare, music, and more. Together, we’re demonstrating that disability is not a limitation—it’s a wellspring of strength, innovation, and transformation.

Explore the Full Disability Power 100 2024 List

The finalists represent an astounding pool of talent and experience, grouped into these categories:

• Business and Finance
• Cross-Sector Advocate
• Education and Research
• Grassroots Community Advocate
• Performing Arts, Television, Radio
• Politics, Law and Media
• Science, Engineering, Technology, Property and Construction
• Sport, Health and Wellbeing
• Transport, Retail, Service and Hospitality
• Visual Arts, Fashion and Design

You can read my Grassroots Community Activist profile and view the full list of this year’s finalists, including the Top Ten and other awardees at disabilitypower100.com.

Collaborate with me

To everyone who has supported my journey—thank you. Let’s continue working together to create change and lift each other up!

If you have similar interests, are engaged in related projects, and want to discuss collaboration around these themes, I would be delighted to hear from you!