Isn’t it great when you speak with someone and they are on your wavelength, but are also so wise that they make you think a little harder?

Our guest this month is one of these people. Celia Chartes-Aris is all about policy, research and law. Her impressive impact led to her being crowned No. 1 on the Disability Power 100 list in 2025. However, her real power lies behind the scenes, being well-connected and acting as an advisor to UK and international governments and organisations, where she advocates for the improvement of Disability equity.

Celia is still relatively young and has a lower life expectancy due to a complex health condition. Whilst she doesn’t appear in a hurry, she is working at a furious pace. We get to explore what drives her, including when she discovered what ableism was and how it became a fundamental driver for her.  We delve into the difficult topics, asking whether the stigma attached to disability will ever be removed and why intersectionality is so far behind in disability advocacy. Celia also tells us how she became a campaigner to restore the Minister for Disability in the UK Government after the post was axed. 

Links

Power 100 Celia

BBC Celia becoming Power 100 no.1

LinkedIn Celia

Access2Funding 

Disabled by Society

Celia Linktr.ee