Portfolio
Visiting Lecturer and Speaker
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I’m passionate about using my voice to educate, and spark meaningful conversations. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and lecturing in various capacities, sharing my insights and experiences with diverse audiences. I’ve delivered talks for universities like Southampton University, exploring how to survive as a freelance journalist...
Journalism Skills Webinars
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I help journalists of all levels develop the core skills they need to report with accuracy, empathy, and confidence. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your craft, my sessions are designed to provide practical tools and expert guidance to elevate your storytelling. I host webinars on a...
Disability Pride Month: A history of disabled cinema
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Once, disability was simply a descriptor, but over time, disabled people have created a community and a culture under this banner, allowing our creative identities to thrive. Unfortunately, the film industry has a long history of ignoring or misrepresenting this rich diversity of life experiences.
Survivors of sexual violence are spending £50,000 on recovery. Why is no one talking about the economic impact of abuse?
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With Nikita Hand winning a landmark civil case against Conor McGregor for sexual assault, for which he must pay £210,000 in compensation, women everywhere felt a glimmer of hope for holding men accountable for their actions. But does that money account for her trauma? Is it even possible to attach a number...
Assisted dying is a women’s issue. So why are we being left out of the debate?
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Given that one poll revealed 74% of the British public is in favour of legalising it, the vote isn't unwarranted, but as the debate dominates talk shows and fills column inches, there’s one view neglected from the discussion: that assisted suicide is a women’s issue.
The sex tech industry could better serve disabled people, and it must
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Historically, disabled people have often been overlooked or misunderstood regarding their sexual needs and desires. This long-standing neglect continues to impact their ability to fully explore and enjoy their sexuality today.
Media Training for Charity Ambassadors – “Tell Your Own Story”
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Delivered in partnership with Changing Faces UK, this annual two-hour online workshop empowers charity ambassadors with the skills and confidence to share their personal stories effectively and meaningfully. Tailored specifically for individuals representing the charity, the session covers: Foundational Media Training: Practical tips for navigating media interactions and ensuring professional...
How to get from Marrakesh to Tangier
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Tearing yourself away from the magnificence of Marrakesh feels almost impossible, but visiting Tangier is the only salve you need. Known for its entrenched cafe culture, where locals and visitors alike spend hours or days relaxing in various cafes, this eclectic city is perfect for travelers seeking an entryway to...
How to get from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Nha Trang
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Going by bus or train to get from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang are affordable ways of travel but very time consuming. You may be able to save time and find affordable flights by going the plane route. Nha Trang provides something for everyone, including great landmarks to visit...
How to get from Bangkok to Koh Phangan
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Leaving Bangkok feels like leaving a piece of your heart behind because it's so easy to fall in love with this incredible, chaotic city. But never fear; visiting Koh Phangan is the perfect cure for this heartache. Koh Phangan is a picturesque destination with a global reputation for being one...
I Have Had PTSD Retriggered And It’s Very Real
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Watching Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s explanation of how the Capitol riots impacted her mental well-being and compounded the trauma of a previous sexual assault felt like watching my own life on replay. Not because the Capitol riots personally affected me, but because I am a survivor of multiple traumas and I...
All the Light We Cannot See shows disabled actors are crucial for disabled roles
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Filmmakers often attempt to tell disabled stories, but few cast disabled actors in disabled roles. Thankfully, Netflix's adaptation of the globally renowned novel All the Light We Cannot See rejected that tired option by conducting a worldwide search to find visually impaired actors for the lead role of Marie-Laure Leblanc...
Ginny and Georgia season 2 addresses key unresolved issue
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From teenage sex to unhealthy parent-child dynamics, Ginny & Georgia is a smorgasbord of challenging topics that are seldom depicted sympathetically on-screen. The Netflix series centres the mother-daughter dynamic between the titular Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Georgia (Brianne Howey), depicting its high points and moments of great emotional upheaval, one...
Disability Pride Month: Why disabled actors still need to get more chances
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Representations of disability in the film industry have a long and storied history of being wrong. It's undeniable that improving disability inclusion within the industry, including hiring more disabled writers and producers, would enhance the accuracy of portrayals of disability on screen.
How Good Omens season 2 swerved ignorant tropes with its disabled angels
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Good Omens' second season nailed disability representation without tokenising a community that rarely gets depicted on screen. Too many representations of disabled people stray into the objectively bad or dangerously prejudiced categories of filmmaking. Narratives position disabled people as burdens, inspirations, or mistakes of biology that must be fixed. Visual...
Guide to Island Hopping in Indonesia: Top 12 Islands
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Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, formed out of over 18,000 stunning islands and islets. With a diverse climate and welcoming people, Indonesia is the perfect destination for under-the-sea and overland adventures. Visitors will fall in love with its panoramic views from the peaks of vast volcanoes and...
How to Explore all the Best National Parks in Vietnam
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Visitors to Vietnam will fall in love with its natural beauty, which is best showcased in its 30 national parks. The authorities have invested time and money into regenerating forests and safeguarding their flourishing biodiversity, particularly after so much was destroyed in the 1960s and 1970s. Now, community-run initiatives prioritize...
A Backpacker’s Guide to Transportation in Vietnam
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Transportation in Vietnam can be overwhelming, especially for first-timers. You’ll probably make mistakes like I did — it’s all part of the experience. But since I spent four months perfecting the various options, take it from me: this guide has everything you need to know to survive — and thrive...
I’m a Digital Nomad: Here are the Highs and Lows
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Travelling the globe is an adventure I will never regret but when you’re taking it on solo, an unwelcome passenger sometimes makes an appearance: loneliness. While I constantly meet new people travelling full-time as a digital nomad, it is no easy feat to make and keep friends on the road....
Travelling Full-Time Is A Joy, But I Never Anticipated Its Impact On Body Image
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Before departing England to become a digital nomad, my body confidence was at an all-time high. As a teenager, I developed a distorted relationship with food, bouncing between starvation, binge eating and vomiting, with over-exercising dominating my daily routine. Until my early 20s, I tore my body to shreds every...
I took my mom to Thailand’s ‘Party Island’ for 2 weeks
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I’m a disabled and chronically ill digital nomad who travels the world solo.
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Using Music to Manage Chronic Pain
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“It’s helpful to realize there is no silver bullet treatment or one-size-fits-all therapeutic approach to pain,” says Dr. Jacob Hascalovici, chief medical officer for Clearing. This is one of those nuggets of advice that, for people living with chronic pain, is frustrating and healing in equal measure. There is no...
When My Partner Became My Caregiver, Our Relationship Couldn’t Recover
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All relationships involve caring for a partner. Sometimes you’ll need them more than they need you, and vice versa. Mutual care, and respect, are key parts of maintaining synergy in a romantic relationship. However, when living with a disability or a chronic illness, striking the right balance between being cared...
How To Get Out Of “Performance Mode” In The Bedroom
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My hair is arranged to cascade down my back. My expression is balanced between sultry and innocent. As I moan, I’m encouraging the lackluster performance of my partner enjoying the view beneath me. Apparently, I’m having the time of my life, riding into a sunset of pleasure without a care...
What Are Sex Hangovers? Experts Explore The Complex Emotions That Can Arise After Hooking Up
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The sheets are as tangled as my thoughts, each crease is a reflection of my confusion and exhaustion. There are too many emotions to count. One breaks the surface asking to be processed only to be drowned out by another one demanding attention. I have a sex hangover. Last night,...
Do vibrators decrease sensitivity *down there*?
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They changed the sexual landscape forever but do vibrators decrease sensitivity, you know, down there? Are these wondrous inventions—app-controlled vibrators, clit vibrators, finger vibrators, et al—undermining your pleasurable potential? The global sex toy market is steadily growing and research indicates its worth will double from $40.6 billion in 2023 to...
How to explore homemade sex toys safely
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Exploring pleasure is a natural process for the average masturbator but sometimes the price tag attached to sex toys subdues an orgasm before it truly peaks. In 2020, the global sex toy market was valued at $33.64 billion and even though sex positivity and accompanying pleasure gadgets are seemingly taking...
The Ableist World of Dating
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When my last relationship came to an end, one of the primary reasons was their inability to deal with my disability. The words spoken during their dumping explanation gave credence to a fear I’ve wrestled with for most of life: partners cannot love me with my disability, they can only...
Are bisexuals destined to be chronically ill?
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A new study has revealed that bisexual women are four times more likely than heterosexual people to have long-term physical and mental health problems. The stereotype of the chronically ill bisexual has long been laughed about between LGBTQ+ disabled friends, and now there’s clear evidence that bisexual people – particularly...
Ancient ableism lives on
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For anyone born visibly disabled in ancient Rome, being stoned to death was a very real possibility. According to the Twelve Tables – the foundation of Roman law – anyone with a ‘visible deformity’ was better off stoned to death before their life impacted the livelihood of other citizens.
Virtual Events During Lockdown are Proof that Greater Accessibility is Possible
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Before booking a ticket to any event, I have to figure out whether my disability will be accommodated. Although there are one billion disabled people globally, access is always stuck at the back of the priority queue for organisers and venue owners. Then the global pandemic happened and suddenly remote...
Overmedicalisation is harming disabled people’s sex lives
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When I was eight, I had an unnecessary hymen check. I still remember the sound of the cheap plastic curtain rings jingling as the doctor placed me on the bed and examined my vulva. Frequent medical interventions, investigations, and consultations have been a part of my life since I was...
What does vulvovaginitis look like? Everything you need to know about vulvovaginitis
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Vulvovaginitis describes a number of conditions that affect your vulva and vagina. Here, two experts explain why you might notice a new itch or pain and what your treatment options are. If you’ve experienced pain or redness in or around your vulva (the outer parts of your genitalia) or vagina...
Meet the ‘lost boys’ of south-east Asia – who went backpacking but never came home
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It’s impossible to know how many of the 45 million backpacking trips taken each year end with the making of another lost boy. It’s uncharted territory – perhaps because those who become lost deliberately choose to live on continents where they cannot be found.
What is the new mental health TikTok trend all about?
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We all know that a sunny spring day, a hot cup of tea or a beautifully bloomed flower can spark joy, but now there’s a term to define the impact these simple things can have on our mental health – glimmers. Glimmers, which are amassing hundreds of thousands of views...
The Historical Desexualising of Disabled People
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Disabled and Sexual is a new monthly(-ish) column by Hannah Shewan Stevens which will explore all the challenges, comedy, and fun that disabled people experience as sexual beings, even while we are desexualised by a predominantly non-disabled society. One of the most pervasive myths about disabled people is that we’re...
We Need to Talk About Chronic Pain and Suicide
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Chronic pain can negatively affect a person’s mental health and lead to thoughts of suicide. Factors like stigma and being dismissed by doctors can heighten this risk, which is why speaking out about this issue is so important.
The Mental Toll of Disability Is Inflating — We Have to Do Something
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The weight of living in a world that doesn’t consider disabled people’s needs is piling on. Something has to change. We live in a society that presumes disability is intrinsically tragic. In reality, for me and many others, being disabled actually comes with many beautiful things, including a vibrant and...
Am I Disabled Enough to Call Myself Disabled?
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It took me more than a decade to call myself disabled. When the label finally stuck, the pride it injected — and the thriving community that came with it — enriched my life. At my sickest, I embraced my identity as disabled. Since then, the chronic illnesses that disabled me...
Goodbye Hustle Culture, Hello Anti-Ambition
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Amid the era of ultimate girl bosses and side hustles, I fell out of love with my greatest love: ambition. After becoming tantalisingly close to securing a dream job I had set a strict timer for ten years ago, I realised I did not want it. Saving for a mortgage,...
I Accessorised My Way To Embracing Disability
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Finding stylish mobility aids amid a sea of dull, colourless options which match the aesthetic of a hospital ward is the bane of many fashion-forward disabled people’s wardrobes. In the UK the spending power of disabled people tops £249 billion per year yet affordable and elegant mobility aids that consider...
How My Personal Style Has Changed Now That I’m A Digital Nomad
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This April, I boarded a one-way flight from London to Bangkok in Thailand to start my life as a full-time digital nomad. I gave up a cosy rented home in Birmingham to pursue my dream of travelling and working as a freelance journalist throughout South East Asia. In the six...
My Style Is Not ‘For’ Men – It’s To Protect Me From Their Violence
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Every day, people select an outfit that speaks to them but, in a world rife with gender-based violence, people with femme-presenting style are often forced to use fashion for expression and protection. Throughout history we have been targets of unwanted male harassment, violence and sexual assault, and the blame is...
Love Island, disabled reality TV stars, and the ‘inspiration porn’ deluge
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Love Island has announced what it says is its “most diverse” cast ever, which includes their first physically disabled contestant: Hampshire PE teacher Hugo Hammond, who has a clubbed foot.
Harriet Eccleston is the adaptive fashion designer making her mark at LFW
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While fashion sometimes moves too swiftly a pace to even keep track of, the process of diversifying its catwalks is happening at a glacial pace. Yes, we are finally seeing a broader range of shapes, sizes, colours, and genders grab the spotlight they deserve, meaning it would be easy to...
How Queer People Wear Colour To Celebrate, Communicate & Thrive
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LGBTQIA+ people throughout history have fought battles for equality, shown solidarity with other oppressed groups and struggled for the right to live proudly. To survive in oppressively heteronormative societies, especially before homosexuality was legalised in the West, we’ve used fashion symbols to interact safely and show pride without endangering ourselves.
Stop desexualising disabled people like the Victoria’s Secret model with Down’s syndrome
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Last week, Sofía Jirau made history as the first model with Down’s syndrome to pose for Victoria’s Secret. The images are stunning, yet the shoot’s launch set off ableists everywhere. Critics have denounced her history-making achievement as objectifying, arguing that it is wrong to sexualise a person with Down’s syndrome....
The ‘10 second grope’ ruling is ridiculous. Sexual assault has no time limit
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To state what should be the obvious: sexual assault has no time limit. Whether it lasts one second or one hour, the violation of another person’s body is equally unacceptable. Yet, apparently, this is difficult to grasp – for an Italian judge has cleared a school caretaker of groping a...
I survived child sex abuse – here’s why Huw Edwards’s sentencing matters
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Social media is incandescent with rage about Huw Edwards’s suspended sentence, but I’m not remotely surprised. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who was actively discouraged from pursuing charges at all, I know it’s par for the course. This country is essentially on the edge of decriminalising childhood sexual...
I left the UK for Canada and can’t afford to come home
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In April 2022, I flew to south-east Asia for a backpacking trip designed to relieve the stress of post-pandemic life. Now, with the cost of living crisis taking over the UK, I’ll never return to live in my home country – I cannot afford to. I left full-time work in...
Endometriosis has not stopped my dream of being a digital nomad
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I made the decision to become a digital nomad after experiencing burnout. But, unlike so many of my 35 million nomadic peers, my Odyssean journey is haunted by an array of disabling chronic illnesses.
We open and close our relationship based on feelings
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“I should tell you, I’m not great with monogamy, so I only do open relationships now,” read the WhatsApp message. Frozen in my once tranquil place on the sofa, I flicked away the notification as if its disappearance could erase the message’s existence. “What on earth does that mean?” I...
The disability employment gap
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When an employer began stripping away duties and relegated her to a tiny desk in the kitchen unit of the office, Barbara Stensland knew her recent multiple sclerosis diagnosis was behind it. This was an attempt to push her out of the workplace. Eventually, after repeated requests for accommodations went...
The cost of living crisis really screwed us, we’re better off living apart than together
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Carrie and her husband Aiden have been married for nearly three decades. However, for the last 11 years, the couple has had to survive on a single income and constantly fight to make ends meet. ‘If I died, Aiden couldn’t afford to bury me,’ Carrie tells Metro matter of factly....
I was a ‘sex addict’ – now I’m healing from the damage my hypersexuality caused
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“Have you always been such a slut?” says my friend. “Yup,” I reply with a grin. In my life, some people called me a sex addict and some – like my friend – have called me a slut. But years after this particular friend queried my supposed promiscuity, a therapist...
Why I chose to have an abortion abroad
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“Your boobs are huge,” my partner quipped from the hotel bed as I wiggled into my swimming costume. I laughed it off and jiggled them in his face before taking one last swim on our holiday in the Dominican Republic, trying to quiet that voice in the back of my...
Disabled women are still the forgotten victims of domestic abuse
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“He expected sex; it was never just helping me. The more help I needed, the more I had to beg for it. The more bedbound I got, the worse it got. I had to give up my body to get basic, essential things done because that was the only thing...
Can your clitoris shrink?
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If you aren't feeling sexual arousal like you used to, it might not be low libido, but it could be clitoral atrophy. Clitoral atrophy is a pleasure-stealing—and vastly under-researched—condition looming over people with vaginas.
A guide for parents on disabled sex ed
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As a result of either poorly adapted education or ill-informed parents and teachers, disabled people are often sidelined or excluded entirely when it comes to sex education. Perhaps assumed to be nonexistent, the community's sexuality is taboo, and representation is typically limited to appearing in pornography as an objectifying fetish....
Is your vagina too thight ?
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Your pelvic floor matters, but it's easy for certain conditions to go unresolved, and the idea of a too-tight vagina doesn't often enter the conversation. However, hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction is more common than you'd think.
Are you an emotional dumper?
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Most everyone vents their feelings. It's part of being human. We verbalize emotions so we can better process them. At least, that's what we tell ourselves. There's a line, however, between letting off steam and callously dumping raw emotions on your loved ones. Unfortunately, the line is not always recognizable.
I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse – stop using my trauma as a political football
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I’ve spent my life watching society ignore childhood sexual abuse (CSA) or use it as a political football to flick the responsibility from one party to another.