“I am a Queer/Pansexual Disabled Woman (She/They) who is passionate about fighting for Diversity, Inclusion and Representation”

Image of Melody, a white woman, sat in her wheelchair. She has bright pink hair, gold hexagon glasses, a pierced left eyebrow and lip. She's wearing a black velvet tux dress with a white collar shirt, black bowtie and red bag.

Proud

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Disabled

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Queer

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Proud 〰️ Disabled 〰️ Queer 〰️

My experience growing up without any positive representation made me feel like an outsider. I hope that through my work amplifying the voices of Queer and Disabled people, with organisations such as ParaPride, I can stop more Disabled Young people from feeling like they don’t belong.

Through my lived experience, my education and my work with various organisations, I am very confident in my ability to support the development of a Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable society.

Qualifications

  • Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies

  • TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity

  • NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Advocacy in The Workplace

  • NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Experience

  • I have worked with; NHS England, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Alliance for Inclusive Education, Let Me Know, ParaPride and more.

  • Within these organisations, I have; run youth groups, facilitated youth engagement, presented at conferences, provided support on Diversity and Inclusion, developed DEI policy and run DEI workshops.

Through streaming on Twitch, I have fostered a loving Community of inclusive people who join me on my mission to improve accessibility in gaming and diversify representation in media. We explore the accessibility settings (or lack thereof) in games, highlight important causes and have a good laugh along the way.

Logo of TheCaringLlama which is a cartoon version of her in a llama onsie on a wheelchair motorbike with rainbow trail

I upload highlights from streams, videos of podcasts, accessibility reviews and general ‘Mel ramblings’ over on my Youtube Channel. I am relatively new to posting here, but I intend to focus on more recorded content in the future!

Mental Health has always been a big part of my life, with myself having OCD and my family having Mental Health conditions too. I have always believed in talking openly and sharing experiences, this has helped me never to be ashamed of my brain. So I thought it was only fair to create a space to talk openly with others about Mental health, promote self-love and reduce any negative stigma. (Currently on hiatus)

Interested in finding out more?

Want to work with me or collaborate on a project?