Celia Hensman
Founder and Director of The Disability Policy Centre
Politics and Law
Celia Hensman is the co-founder and Director of The Disability Policy Centre, the first think tank in the UK dedicated to the development and advancement of policy, ensuring that accessibility and disability is at the heart of legislation. Through The Disability Policy Centre, and in her personal work, Celia works to find the practical policy solutions for the improvement of public services and policy reform, which change the lives of disabled people for good. The Disability Policy Centre is engaging with policy leaders and breaking down barriers for disabled people, in every aspect of our society, leading the thinking to ensure that nobody is held back from achieving their potential.
Celia has multiple disabilities including Loeys-Dietz Syndrome, she has never known life without her disability, and consequentially from a young age she has been an active disability rights campaigner. Celia takes pride in her disabled identity, working hard against systematic ableism, discrimination and stereotypes about the talents, potential and ability of disabled people.
From a young age Celia has been a committed campaigner for disabled representation, inclusion and accessibility, having worked in various sectors including private, public, employment, legal and policy, drawing on her own experiences and challenges of being disabled. She is passionate about breaking down archaic ableist preconceived perceptions of disability, championing and providing a voice and improving participation and opportunity for disabled people at the heart of Westminster and beyond.
“Disability does not ‘look like’. Disability does not conform to archaic ableist preconceived perceptions of health. Disability is beautifully and infinitely diverse. Accessibility is a right not a privilege, we must be proactive not reactive in ensuring that disabled people and people with long-term health conditions are represented across all sectors. By developing practical solutions that deliver real-world results, we will change the lives of disabled people for good. We must do better to design a world where disabled people are included.”