Natalie became disabled in 2012, when at university. With her disabilities affecting walking and use of her hands, Natalie had direct experience of the stigma around disability that suggests disabled people cannot be intelligent or successful. Determined to change this perception, Natalie qualified as a chartered accountant and works in PwC’s Deals Business.

Passionate about challenging perceptions and supporting others, Natalie has volunteered as National Co-Chair of PwC’s Disability Awareness Network (DAWN) since March 2019 and has been instrumental in the network’s growth. Natalie set up the network’s first regional subgroup, to provide support to colleagues in the north of England. This was a great success, and DAWN now has five local subgroups, as well as a nationwide buddying scheme. Natalie’s advocacy work has extended to communications and branding. She identified a lack of disability representation in PwC’s internal design assets and worked to develop a set of illustrations featuring disabled people at work. These launched in 2020 and have since been incorporated into corporate branding.

The same year, Natalie created a campaign to profile disabled colleagues and celebrate their achievements at PwC. Natalie’s own story was featured on corporate social media, attracting significant interest. Natalie has mentored disability network chairs overseas. She encourages future generations of disabled people into accountancy by speaking at PwC events, including delivering thought-provoking talks on disability at student recruitment events and taking part in career blogs.

Through her achievements so far, Natalie is changing the perception of both disabled people and the accountancy profession.