I grew up in Sheffield and have lived in York since 2013. My work takes me all over the UK and beyond but I’m a Yorkshire lass through and through!
I grew up in Sheffield and have lived in York since 2013. My work takes me all over the UK and beyond but I’m a Yorkshire lass through and through!
She/Her
I have a few different conditions, but the one that affects me the most is an Energy Limiting Condition called ME/CFS. It’s a chronic illness with a broad range of symptoms and during my early years post-diagnosis I was very unwell, but I’m lucky to have experienced some improvements over more recent years.
ME/CFS affects people so differently, with condition severity ranging from mild to Very Severe. Although my illness experience has been completely life-altering, it’s important to say that I don’t speak for or represent everybody with the condition. I’m fighting to live my best life possible, whilst those most severely affected are fighting for their lives. That fact is never far from my mind, and I’m sending all my love and empathy to everybody affected by this condition.
By day I’m a writer and speaker, and I also work as a communication consultant in the charity sector. I’m also a disabled influencer with an online audience, and very flattered to be known as one of the OG disabled content creators!
I have a particular interest in making education and employment more inclusive for people with Energy Limiting Conditions like my own. It goes without saying that not everybody with a chronic illness is well enough or should be expected to work, but I hope to help make the sector more accommodating for those who are pursuing a career.
Although working with a chronic illness can be incredibly tough at times, I’m grateful for my freelance life every single day. Despite the bizarre circumstances that brought me to where I am now, I often feel as though this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I have a BSc in Psychology/Education, and a PgDip in Health Psychology. I started creating content on social media midway through my degree, as my health started declining, and in 2017 I also started writing my blog (Life Of Pippa), which over the years has evolved to become this very website you’re visiting right now.
After I finished my education in 2017, I became an intern with an amazing disability charity and spent the next few years employed (with adjustments and reduced hours due to my health) in the charity sector. I learned so much from this role and this, combined with my growing online presence, began to open doors into writing, speaking, and media work too.
Leaning into this has brought me some truly incredible opportunities, and I realised that if I wanted to embrace as many as possible while also managing my health condition, I needed to find a better balance and become self-employed.
Becoming a disabled freelancer didn’t happen overnight. It was something I had to weave into my life very slowly and carefully in order to manage my health condition and ensure I could continue living independently – and there’s been a *lot* of trial and error along the way.
If you’re seeking work while managing a chronic illness, my Finding Accessible Work blog post may help you to get started.
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user – this means that I use different mobility aids on different days. Sometimes you’ll see me using a manual wheelchair, other times you’ll see me using my power-chair, occasionally you’ll see me using no wheelchair at all. Using mobility aids helps me to better pace myself and manage my condition, and in doing so has also completely transformed my quality of life.
My previous power-chair (2018 – 2024) was the Eden Comet from Eden Mobility. My current power-chair (May 2024 onwards) is the Whill C2, which was ordered through TGA. More on that here!
The way we use mobility aids is so individualised, and we all have different access needs. Even if we have the same condition, it’s not necessarily the case that the things that are right for me will also be right for you.
I don’t have the specialist knowledge or capacity to support or provide advice for individuals, medically or regarding mobility aids. The things I share online come from my own, personal lived experiences and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Just drop me an email at [email protected] or use the contact form on this page. Looking forward to hearing from you!