About Lucy
About Lucy
Hello!
Welcome to The View From Down Here - a newsletter all about disability, ableism and how to be an ally.
Who am I?
I’m Lucy. I’m a journalist, author and advocate specialising in disability and ableism.
Let’s do the personal stuff first.
I’m a 30-ish year old disabled woman who loves writing, reading, good food and going to the pub with my mates. When not doing those things I am generally rewatching one of the same five TV shows in a bid to actually rest.
I am a life-long, fulltime power- and manual wheelchair user living in London with my 24-hour care team. Being a very visibly disabled woman shapes everything about my life and how I interact with the world.
In my late twenties, I came out as gay, and I am really interested in how queerness, womanhood and disability interrelate - for me personally and in wider society.
You can find me chatting about disability and other things on Instagram and Twitter.
What do I do?
Like many freelancers and advocates, I do a lot of different things, all guided by two central principles: demystifying disability and challenging ableism.
Here are some of the hats I wear:
Journalism and media
My work covers disability wherever it is found, with a particular focus on representation, social affairs, ableism and the distinct experiences of disabled women. My aim is to challenge myths around disability and disabled people.
Most of my journalistic work falls into three categories:
Features/interviews addressing issues facing disabled people
Reviews of disability-focused culture e.g. books, TV, plays, etc
Opinion pieces on disability issues in the news, including government policy
My work can be found in The Guardian, The Times, The FT, Tortoise, Conde Nast Traveller, Glamour UK, The Telegraph and others.
I am also an expert media commentator on disability issues, with appearances on radio and TV.
Writing
My debut book, The View From Down Here: Life as a young disabled woman, is out now!
"In a book that is at turns both devastating and light-hearted, Webster succinctly dismantles preconceptions around disability” – The New Statesman
Here’s the blurb: Women's lives are shaped by sexism and expectations. Disabled people's lives are shaped by ableism and a complete lack of expectations. But what happens when you're subjected to both sets of rules? This powerful, honest, hilarious and furious memoir from journalist and advocate Lucy Webster looks at life at the intersection; the struggles, the joys and the unseen realities of being a disabled woman. From navigating the worlds of education and work, dating and friendship; to managing care; contemplating motherhood; and learning to accept your body against a pervasive narrative that it is somehow broken and in need of fixing, The View From Down Here shines a light on what it really means to move through the world as a disabled woman.
You can find out more about the book at this dedicated page and order a copy from your preferred book shop here.
Advocacy
I do a variety of disability and anti-ableism advocacy work, including:
Raising awareness and challenging stereotypes via social media
I am also available as a speaker on a broad range of disability issues and can be booked for internal or public events, panels, shows etc, as either a guest or host
Every Body Queer
I am a co-founder of an events and community initiative for disabled LGBTQ+ people called Every Body Queer. We aim to create safe, fun spaces for people to connect, share experiences and challenge our marginalisation within queer spaces and beyond.
Media consultancy
As an expert on the representation of disabled people, I offer training sessions to newsrooms and other creative teams on best practice and how to avoid common pitfalls. I can also act as a creative consultant on specific disability-focused projects, to ensure disabled people are represented fairly, accurately and sensitively.
Contact
I’d love to talk about working together.
Email: lucywebsterjournalist@gmail.com
Twitter: @Lucy_Webster_
Instagram: @lucywebsterjournalist
Or contact my agents:
Writing: Jess Molloy at Curtis Brown
Media requests: Emily Harris at Curtis Brown
Corporate speaking: Mitchell Sowdon at JLA Speakers