Meet the AccessAble Ambassadors

By Carrie-Ann Lightley – Wed, 02 February 2022

At AccessAble we believe lived experience should lead the conversation. Our Ambassadors bring that experience to life by sharing their voices, passions, and stories to help disabled people across the UK find confidence, connection, and support.

This community of creators, campaigners, and advocates expands the reach of our Detailed Access Guides and sparks meaningful conversations about access in everyday life, in work, at home, and in places people love to visit. What unites them is a commitment to improve access not just for themselves but for others too.

Read on to meet the talented individuals who make up our Ambassador network, learn what drives them, and discover how they use their unique experiences to support and amplify disability visibility online and off.

Alex Stratikis

Alex Stratikis, founder of 'Autism Adventures Abroad,' was diagnosed at age 6 with autiem. He has travelled (mainly solo) to over 40 countries and has lived in 6 countries, including the USA, Australia, Japan, Scotland, Greece, and England. He documents his travels on Instagram and through his blog, sharing facts, stories, photos, and videos about autism and about the places he's visited.

Find out more about Alex

Anna-Ruth Cockerham

Anna Ruth sits on a stage chair speaking into a handheld microphone during a panel discussion. She wears glasses, a white dress, and a black and white jacket. A purple conference backdrop behind her shows city skyline graphics and customer experience summit branding, with small tables and microphones positioned on either side of her chair.

Anna-Ruth lives with Functional Neurological Disorder. Passionate about using her experiences to promote accessibility and the inclusion of disabled people, Anna-Ruth works supporting businesses to incorporate accessibility and inclusive design for all, with a particular focus on travel and transport. In 2022, she graduated with a Mathematics degree from the University of St Andrews, where she also worked leading projects on student wellbeing, equity and inclusion. She was recognised for her work in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 in 2021 and 2024.

Find out more about Anna-Ruth

Becca Wilson

Becca is a woman with black hair. She is wearing a beige coat and black leggings. She is pictured sitting in her wheelchair next to a green and white character with an oreo on its middle.

Becca is a research fellow in health data privacy at the University of Liverpool. She works on software projects that help academic researchers securely analyse medical data to progress understanding of various health conditions. In 2014 an episode of transverse myelitis left her mobility impaired. Since then she has worked to improve disability equality in the academic sector. She loves to travel and explore the outdoors, and is also a keen foodie.

Find out more about Becca

Becky Pettitt

Becky, a white women with blonde hair, is sat on a green velvet booth at a table. She is holding a red teapot in one hand and a tea strainer over a cup of tea in the other. There are two people at a table in the background.

Becky Pettitt works for a children's charity, and her husband Dan works as a web developer. Dan is a wheelchair user who has Friedreich's Ataxia, which is a rare genetic, degenerative disease that causes coordination problems, a loss of sensation in the arms and legs, and impaired speech. They are both big music fans and love going to gigs together.

Find out more about Becky

Beth Wooller

eth stands smiling beside a large purple display board that reads “The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100” with the subtitle “Britain’s iconic list of the 100 most influential disabled people and organisations.” She wears a dark blazer over a burgundy dress and a lanyard around her neck. The background is the branded event wall, and she is positioned to the right of the sign, facing the camera.

Beth was born with a moderate-severe hearing impairment in both ears. Her credits include working with national and local newspapers, featuring on TV and live radio, and attending Parliament to make a case for more efficient Access to Work processes. She has also presented as a keynote speaker and panellist for businesses, and is dedicated to helping disabled people to excel in life with the proper support at the right time.

Find out more about Beth

Callum Russell

Callum sits facing the camera in a head and shoulders portrait. He has short brown hair and wears a light coloured button up shirt. He is seated in a dark chair with a window behind him showing daylight and trees outside. The wall behind him is pale green. His expression is relaxed with a slight smile.

Callum is blind since birth.  He has a BA in Modern Languages (French, Italian and Spanish) and a Masters in European Political and Administrative Studies.  He joined Sight for Surrey as a Fundraising and Events Intern before becoming the charity's Employment and Community Fundraising Officer, supporting adults with sensory impairments to seek and maintain sustainable employment. is now self-employed and runs a bespoke consultancy called CrystalEyes.

Find out more about Callum

Charlie Randell

Charlie, a man with long red hair tied in a bun, sits in a wheelchair on a wooden pier, looking out over the sea. He is wearing sunglasses, a beige T shirt and light blue trousers. A handcycle attachment is fitted to the front of his wheelchair. Blue railings line the edge of the pier, with calm water and a lightly clouded blue sky in the background.

Charlie is a content creator and disability inclusion consultant. He is the founder of Not Quite Politically Correct (NQPC), a platform dedicated to amplifying disabled voices and challenging stereotypes around disability. Charlie has Cerebral Palsy and uses his experience as a wheelchair user to raise awareness and support inclusion across digital media.Charlie’s goal for NQPC is to speak about disability in a way where everyone can be a part of the conversation.

Find out more about Charlie

Chloe Tear

Chloe, A woman with brown hair and glasses is kneeled down next to her off duty yellow Labrador guide dog Dezzie.

Chloe Tear is an award-winning disability blogger and freelancer. She’s passionate about challenging public attitudes and giving a candid insight into life as a disabled person. She is accompanied by her guide dog Dezzie who has given her greater independence. Chloe also works as a senior content designer where she writes information and advice that support disabled people and their families.

Find out more about Chloe

Connor O'Kane

Conor sits smiling in a powered wheelchair inside a library. He wears a bright blue zip up fleece and looks slightly to one side rather than directly at the camera. Bookshelves filled with books line the background, creating a warm, indoor study setting. His expression is cheerful and relaxed.

Conor has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and blogs about his lived experiences. He shares regular posts with a theme of 'seven smiles' and embodies the power of finding joy and living life with positivity.

Find out more about Conor

Dan White

Dan faces the camera in a close up portrait outdoors. He has short dark hair styled upward, a short beard, and wears blue framed glasses. He is dressed in a blue suit jacket, white shirt, and black tie. Modern curved glass buildings rise behind him, creating an urban office setting. His expression is neutral and focused.

As well as caring for his award-winning disabled daughter Emily, Dan is a campaigner who is not afraid to discuss his experiences with mental illness or autism. He's also a regular broadcaster and countywide speaker, appearing across the media and at conferences, discussing the need for absolute equality. He is also the creator of the globally popular Department of Ability comic, which features five disabled superheroes, as well as a children’s author. Dan is also part of the ITV Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Find out more about Dan

David Trigger

David faces the camera in a head and shoulders portrait. He has short white hair, wears thin framed glasses, and is dressed in a light blue shirt with a dark jacket. The background is plain and light coloured. His expression is friendly with a small smile.

David is an Ambassador and Patient Leader for his local National Health Service in England. He is also a West Midlands Dementia Champion, sitting on their External Advisory Group as well as Co-Chairing of the West Mercia Police Force Independent Advisory Group (IAG) on Disability.

Find out more about David

Ed Rex

Ed is shown in a studio style portrait, turned slightly to the side and looking back toward the camera. He has short dark hair and wears a light coloured button up shirt. The background is softly blurred with a textured, neutral tone. His expression is calm and thoughtful.

Ed is profoundly deaf in both ears. Throughout his solo travels, he noticed a keen interest from other travellers about his deafness and how it influences his travelling experience. From the bad to the good and to the downright hilarious, he tells his story to break down stereotypes and discrimination, and raise awareness of people can support deaf travellers.

Find out more about Ed

Emma Muldoon

Emma sits smiling in a powered wheelchair on a gravel path in a leafy garden. She has straight dark hair and wears a light top, a pink cardigan, blue jeans, and black trainers. Trees and shrubs surround the path, creating a calm outdoor setting with greenery in the background.

Emma Muldoon is a power wheelchair user with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. She curates an award-winning accessible travel and disability blog, ‘Simply Emma’, where she shares her love of travel and highlights the barriers disabled people face whilst travelling. She also challenges public attitudes and misconceptions whilst helping create positive change for the disabled community. She has a particular passion for live music and exploring the outdoors.

Find out more about Emma

Emma Purcell

Emma is shown in a close up selfie style portrait, facing the camera. She has dark hair and wears round, thin framed glasses. The reflection of a screen is visible in her lenses. She is smiling gently with closed lips, and the background is neutral and out of focus.

Emma is a talented freelance journalist and co-founder and editor of online disability magazine Crip Life™. She has a passion for live music, comedy, acting, and chocolate, and is a Harry Potter fanatic.

Find out more about Emma

Fi Anderson

Fi sits by a riverside railing in front of Tower Bridge in London, holding hands with a smiling young girl. Fi wears glasses, a light coat with a faux fur collar, and sits in a powered wheelchair with a striped bag attached to the front. The Thames and the raised towers of Tower Bridge are visible behind them, with other people gathered along the walkway taking photos.

Fi shares a relatable personal blog about parenting with a disability, which aims to share helpful insights for other people with Neuromuscular conditions who are considering starting a family. She also campaigns for improved access and equality in the UK, challenging the common misconceptions made about disabled parents.

Find out more about Fi

Georgia Vine

Georgia faces the camera smiling in a head and shoulders portrait. She has long straight brown hair and wears dark framed glasses and a white top with a round button detail. Vertical blinds fill the background, suggesting an office or indoor workspace setting.

Georgia is an occupational therapist working in academia at the University of Huddersfield. During her studies she established her award-winning blog ‘Not So Terrible Palsy’, which explored her experiences as a disabled occupational therapy student and explained how she navigated the barriers she faced during her professional training. Georgia released her debut book in 2024 titled ‘Occupational Therapy, Disability Activism and Me’ in which she uniquely analyses her life experiences by using her knowledge as both an occupational therapist and disabled activist.

Find out more about Georgia

Hannah Barham-Brown

Hannah stands at a lectern speaking into two microphones on a stage. She has long wavy red hair and wears a blue blazer over a light top. One hand is raised slightly as if making a point. The background is lit in blue, suggesting a conference or formal speaking event, and her expression is focused and confident.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown is a GP, Council Member of the British Medical Association, and former Deputy Leader of the Women’s Equality Party. Alongside her clinical and political work, she travels the UK giving talks about disability, in venues from the House of Lords to international publishing companies. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and works to support disabled people in politics, employment, travel, health and education.

Find out more about Hannah

Heather Tarpey-Lacey

Heather faces the camera in a close up portrait against a plain white background. She has long wavy hair that fades from darker roots to lighter ends and wears bright multicoloured round glasses. Her lips are painted a vivid red and she wears a dark top. Her expression is calm and confident, with her eyes looking directly at the camera.

Heather, who has cerebral palsy and cPTSD, took to social media one fateful day to find solidarity and support from people like her. This led to the creation of her own blog, where she documents her experiences of mental illness, fatigue, and chronic pain with the goal of spreading awareness and empowering her readers.

Find out more about Heather

Holly Foster

Holly sits in a manual wheelchair on a paved path in a garden filled with tall yellow flowers and leafy trees. She has long dark hair and wears a bright blue top and light coloured trousers. Sunlight falls across the plants and grass around her, creating a warm outdoor scene.

Holly is a UK disability blogger and advocate and an ambulatory wheelchair user. She lives with multiple chronic conditions. In 2017, after a deterioration in her health meant she had to leave her working life, she started her own blog. This has given her space to process what she was going through as well as a powerful creative outlet.

Find out more about Holly

Holly Tuke

Holly stands on a tiled terrace in a large green park, leaning one arm on a black metal railing. She wears dark sunglasses and a long floral dress with short sleeves. A wide lawn stretches out behind her with trees in the distance and picnic benches scattered across the grass. The sky is partly cloudy and the scene feels bright and open.

Holly Tuke is a social media manager, blogger, freelance writer and disability advocate. She is the author behind the award-winning blog, Life of a Blind Girl. She was named in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list in 2018 and in 2019, and also awarded Social Media Influencer of the Year at the 2019 RNIB See Differently Awards. Holly is registered blind and has ME/CFS. Holly is passionate about encouraging people to make their digital communications accessible, as well as sharing her lived experience of disability to raise awareness and educate others.

Find out more about Holly

Izzy Gaim-Marsoner

Izzy is a neurodivergent wheelchair user who advocates for the rights of neurodivergent, queer, and disabled people. Izzy has spent the last two years working alongside the Scottish Government and various third sector stakeholders in creating the Learning Disability, Autism, and Neurodivergence (LDAN) bill. She has also been recognised for her advocacy work by the Young Women's Movement in their '30 under 30 list' in 2024. This year Izzy has been selected to be a member of Inclusion Scotland's People Led Policy Panel.

Find out more about Izzy

Katie Anna McConnell

Katie Anna, a young white female, is dressed in burgundy dungarees and a black T-shirt. Her brown, wavy hair hangs down past her shoulders and she is looking directly at the camera with a cheeky smirk.

Katie Anna is a chronically ill disabled person with multiple medical conditions. She uses mobility aids including a power assisted wheelchair and walking sticks, and trained as a performer. She now tours all over the country (and globe) with shows primarily for young people and families, using dance and drama to explore important topics - like neurodivergency. Delivering access consultancy to companies in the arts and culture sector, Katie offers Disability Equality Training sessions that cover a wide range of subjects.Her assistance dog Bella is her best friend and their favourite thing to do together is watch Disney films after playing in the park.

Find out more about Katie Anna

Kerry Thompson

Kerry is a white woman with blonde hair. She is pictured sitting in her wheelchair wearing a light purple dress infront of a fence.

Kerry is a disability blogger with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive, muscle-wasting condition. She has always believed that it should never stop her from living life the way she wants and found a real passion for campaigning for disability rights. Her blog shares her experiences of living with Muscular Dystrophy, depression, and anxiety, and showcases her innovative campaign work.

Find out more about Kerry

Kim Smith

Kim Smith became a quadruple amputee after having a urine infection that developed into sepsis. Kim almost died but turned her life around from doing nothing to travelling around the UK raising awareness of sepsis. Kim is passionate that everyone should learn the symptoms. Kim is also passionate about disability awareness, accessibility and wheelchair accessible homes.

Find out more about Kim

Lucy Wood

Lucy, who has Cerebral Palsy, is an advocate and podcaster who is passionate about inclusion. Her podcast lABLEd is an independent, self-funded series, where disabled guests talk about their personal experiences of disability, chronic illness, and health differences.

Find out more about Lucy

Natalie Gardner

Natalie is a woman with blonde hair. She is wearing a grey shirt and is standing in front of a wall with two prints on it.

Natalie, also known as The Spoonie Mummy, started her blog in 2017. She wants to help others by showing people that even with arthritis and chronic illness, you can still have many adventures and lead a full life.

Find out more about Natalie

Dr Natasha Wilcock

Natasha is a white woman with brown hair, she is standing next to an open window smiling. She is wearing a white t-shirt, glasses, hearing aids and an assistive listening device around her neck.

Dr Natasha Wilcock is a palliative care doctor, and she is profoundly deaf - she wears bilateral hearing aids. She also runs IDA- an organisation aiming to improve deaf people’s health, wellbeing and access. She runs several projects within this, including improving deaf access to palliative care services, undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and more. She is also a TEDxNHS 2024 speaker and NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur. She works with many organisations including NHS England, the GMC, BMA, RNID and many others to improve deaf people’s access to health services. She writes for many national publications, has appeared on BBC See Hear and is actively involved in research about deaf people’s experience of healthcare.

Find out more about Natasha

Pippa Stacey

Pippa smiles at the camera while holding up a yellow book titled How to Do Life with a Chronic Illness by Pippa Stacey. She has long brown hair and wears a light mint green top. Behind her is a bookshelf arranged in colour order, with rows of bright pink, yellow, and orange book spines creating a vivid background.

Pippa Stacey is a disabled writer, speaker, and content creator based in Yorkshire. She is the author of the award-winning How To Do Life With A Chronic Illness, and regularly delivers talks and training to high-profile clients. She also works as a communication consultant in the charity sector, and is one of the UK's only specialists in Energy Limiting Conditions. Pippa is an ambulatory wheelchair user, and through her accessible travel and lifestyle content has grown a strong community on social media. She has also frequently been named in the Disability Power 100 as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.

Find out more about Pippa

Ross Hovey

Ross sits facing the camera in a powered wheelchair against a plain white background. He has short hair and a trimmed beard and wears a navy jumper, a padded dark blue gilet, blue jeans, and brown trainers. His hands rest on his lap, and the wheelchair’s controls and supports are visible at the sides. He is smiling gently, and the image has a clean studio style feel.

Ross Hovey is Workplace Inclusion Lead at Lloyds Banking Group, where he has spent over 24 years driving large-scale change to make workplaces more inclusive and accessible. With a background in HR (CIPD), deep operational expertise, and lived experience of disability, Ross is recognised as a subject matter expert in workplace inclusion and adjustment design. As an AccessAble Ambassador, Ross brings both professional insight and personal perspective, shaped by years of navigating barriers across workplaces, transport hubs, and major sports venues.

Find out more about Ross

Ross Lannon

Ross sits smiling in a powered wheelchair inside a bright, modern public building decorated with colourful bunting. He wears a short sleeve black shirt and a name badge and has a small headset microphone on his cheek. Wooden beams and glass walls line the space behind him, with signs and posters visible in the background, giving the setting the feel of a busy visitor centre or venue.

Ross Lannon – who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA Type 3) – is a lifestyle & disability blogger from Cornwall. Ross runs a blog called "A Life on Wheels" which documents his journey through adulthood, as a young man with a physical disability. He is also a radio presenter and keen advocate for representing disability in the media - through his various TV & publishing work. As a qualified journalist, Ross uses his platforms to share his cheeky outlook on life, whilst also reviewing accessible events, activities and products. He is also a proud dog-dad to Ralph, the cockapoo.

Find out more about Ross

Sassy Wyatt

Sassy is a women with short light brown hair. She is standing in front of a wall and is wearing a yellow shirt.

Sassy is a disability awareness consultant and blogger who is passionate about changing the landscape of accessible tourism. Living with both arthritis and blindness, she brings a unique and valuable perspective on local and international explorations.

Find out more about Sassy

Shona Louise

Shona is a woman with brown hair. She is sitting in her power wheelchair wearing a striped t-shirt and jeans. There are trees and greenery behind her.

Shona Louise is a disabled & LGBTQ+ freelance writer, photographer and activist, with a passion for theatre. Having written her blog for over 10 years, she has become vocal across social media about accessibility within the theatre industry, on public transport and more.

Find out more about Shona

Tanvi Vyas

Tanvi, a woman with shoulder length dark hair, sits smiling in a red power wheelchair. She is wearing a sleeveless black outfit and black boots, angled slightly to the side with her hands resting on her lap. Behind her is a neutral studio background with a large soft red circular light.

Tanvi Vyas is a Disability Equality Specialist with a particular interest in improving access to transport, travel and leisure. Tanvi is a full time powerchair user and does not shy away from the challenges disabled people face. Additionally, Tanvi has an interest in bringing elements of intersectionality into the conversation and finding solutions to access barriers. In her spare time Tanvi enjoys travelling in the UK and abroad with her husband Daniel, spending time with family and friends and visiting new places, with an interest in galleries, museums and the theatre. Tanvi received an MBE for ‘Services to Transport’ in His Majesty the King’s Birthday honours in June 2024.

Find out more about Tanvi

Thank you for getting to know our Ambassadors. Their work highlights the diversity of disabled experience in the UK and shows how visibility, representation, and community can transform people’s everyday lives.

If you’re curious to learn more about the work our Ambassadors do, explore their stories in full and follow their content across our blog, social channels, and projects.

We are always looking to strengthen this network and collaborate with passionate individuals who want to make access better for everyone. If that sounds like you or someone you know, we’d love to hear from you – feel free to get in touch with our team. You can contact us by email at hello@AccessAble.co.uk, or call 01438 842710.

Search for accessible places to go