On this page you can find out more about some of our wonderful disabled staff and students at Queen Mary as they share a bit about themselves, their experiences and what they want you to know about disability, through their role model profiles. 

We hope that by sharing these role model profiles, we can help increase the visibility of our disabled community at Queen Mary and their diverse experiences and perspectives. We will be adding to this page on an ongoing basis.

If you think you might be interested in creating your own disabled role model profile, please get in touch with Daisy Crowfoot, who works in the EDI Team.

Your nominations

Here are the disabled role models that you (our staff and students) have shared with us.

If you would like to add your disabled role model(s) to this page, please get in touch with Daisy Crowfoot. 

Emily Yates (Accessibility Consultant, Journalist and Queen Mary Alumna!)

Emily Yates is a brilliant accessibility consultant and journalist who studied English at Queen Mary, graduating in 2013. They have also been recently listed in the Shaw Trust’s Power 100, an annual publication containing the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK.

Nathalie Grey, Alumni Engagement Coordinator (HSS), nominated Emily Yates, saying:

"As a former classmate of Emily’s and the alumni coordinator for the School of English and Drama, it is so inspiring to see how Emily has combined the use of her skills and experience of living with a disability to help others. I’m excited to see more of Emily’s work, especially following the completion of her PhD in Women’s Studies at the University of York."

Find out more about Emily's work and experiences in their interview with the Alumni Engagement Team here. 

Frida Kahlo 

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits and bold, vibrant colors, with works exploring identity, the human body and female form, nature, pain and death, as well as Mexican and indigenous culture. Much of her work explored her experiences of pain after she was severely injured in a bus accident as a teenager. She began to focus heavily on painting while recovering in a body cast. In her lifetime, she had 30 operations. 

Leona Rogers, Security Patrol Officer at Queen Mary, nominated Frida Kahlo, saying: 

"My disabled role model has to be Frida Khalo. Like myself she had a serious accident and like myself, she refused to get pigeon holed by society. She refused to be defined by labels. Instead, she let herself be known for her legendary, beautiful artwork.

She did not give anyone the power to define who and what she is. And neither do I. Both feminists, we have so much in common. I loved the way she dressed. I have visited her home in Mexico City and celebrate Dia De Los Muertos, an important holiday in Mexico, every year."