Gemma

Bailey-Smith

BSc, MSc, PIEMA

Environment Manager

Science and Engineering

Gemma is an Environment Manager who works in the Civil Engineering industry. As a young professional women, this can be a challenging industry without the physical access barriers presented as a wheelchair user.

Gemma has worked tirelessly since joining the industry in 2019 to not only advocate for herself, but also peers and has chaired people networks with their focus to support colleagues with Disability, Neurodiversity, and caring responsibilities. Her work chairing and co-chairing the networks have led to nominations for Network of the Year, Equal Engineers 2022, and Ground Engineering Awards, 2023.

“I can vividly recall going to the careers officer at university as my disability progressed and asked ‘How will a career in the environmental sector work now I use a wheelchair?’. We searched and reached out for examples, looking for the representation I desperately needed to see at that time, but we couldn’t find it.

So I set a goal to become the representation I needed to see in the industry.”

Headshot of Gemma, a white woman with brown shoulder length hair which is curly. She is wearing a black top  with a gold chain necklace.

Follow Gemma

Disability Power 100 2023 profile information has been self-submitted by the profile subject. Shaw Trust understands and respects that disability and impairment descriptors and language use varies from person to person. Shaw Trust assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or discrepancies in the content of this, or any other, profile page.

More from the Disability Power 100

Dr Shani Dhanda

Dr Shani Dhanda

Dr Shani DhandaDisability Inclusion Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and BroadcasterChair JudgeShani is a multi-award-winning disability inclusion specialist, thought leader, social entrepreneur, and accomplished broadcaster. She's driven change by establishing...

Lee Ellery

Lee Ellery

Lee ElleryWebsite Accessibility AssessorLee Ellery is from Swansea and has Cerebral Palsy which affects all four limbs and is also visually impaired. None of this stops him doing what he enjoys or working as a user-tester for Shaw Trust Accessibility Services. Using...

Simon Stones

Simon Stones

Simone StonesSenior Medical Writer and Patient AdvocateSimon Stones is an Award-Winning Senior Medical Writer and International Patient Advocate. In 2023, he was awarded the inaugural Rising Star Award by the International Society for Medical Publication...