Birkbeck - University of London
Birkbeck - University of London
11/21/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/21/2024 10:06
Birkbeck student named in prestigious Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list
21 November 2024
The Disability Power 100 recognises the most influential disabled people in the UK.
The 2024 Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 listhas been announced and includes Birkbeck PhD student, Georgia Bondy. Recognisedfor their work as a disability changemaker, Georgia is being celebrated as one of the 100 most influential disabled individuals in the UK and a leader in their field.
The awards are publicly nominatedand judged by a panel of 25 disabled champions including international business leader Dr Shani Dhanda, Chief Executive of Paralympics GB, David Clark, and Coronation Street actor, Cherylee Houston.
Georgia has been recognisedfor their impact, innovationand influence in changing the perceptionsand stereotypes of disability. Their work has included founding the organisation Well Adaptwhich supports chronically ill people to manage symptoms like pain and fatigue while partnering with healthcare providers and policymakers to build better chronic illness care systems.
Georgia has also been involved in campaigning for greater uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations, a campaign that reached millions of people across the country. An artist and thought-leader, Georgia creates influential works around the idea of Disabled Joy;the joy that comes from disability, not in-spite of it. They have been undertaking this work whilst also studying a PhD in Psychology at Birkbeck.
Speaking about their place as a finalist on the list, Georgia said: "It can be easy to get lost in doing the work, forgetting to look back and appreciate the impact you might be making. It'swonderful to realisethat all the work I'veputinhas been recognisedand appreciated."
National charity, Shaw Trust, runs the Disability Power 100 to raise the profile of disabled talent and challenge the disability employment gap head-on. Head of Disability Power 100, Alona De Havilland, commented:
"The Disability Power 100 is all about creating change, it celebrates ambition and achievement, andplays a role in challenging society's perceptionsof disability by recognising the strengths, contributionsand successes of 100 disabled individuals each year.
"We all need role models.People who are pioneers and changemakers. This year we witnessedour Team GB Paralympians rightly celebrated for their elite athleticism, sporting prowess and determination to succeed. The Disability Power 100 celebrates disabled roles models with the same determination, expertiseand ambition in all sectors from architecture to construction; finance to healthcare; transport to music. It is a rallying cry to future generations of leaders and a call for employers and society to recognisethe talents and skills of disabled people."