A St Albans woman has been named one of the most influential people with a disability in the UK.
Businesswoman, life coach, and wheelchair user Mary Doyle is included in the annual Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 List 2018.
More than 700 people were nominated for the accolade, which is judged by an independent panel and chaired by the ambassador to disability rights UK, Kate Nash.
Mary has more than 25 years experience in software and telecoms, now providing personal and executive coaching for business people through her company Rocket Girl Coaching.
The name Rocket Girl comes from Mary’s lifelong love of flying and space travel - she even learnt to pilot solo at 42 years old.
Mary has also spoken on the BBC about issues disabled people face on commercial flights.
She said: “Being a wheelchair user and global manager has given me the drive for disability to be normalised in business and outside of the office.
“To quote Bruce Springsteen, ‘nobody wins unless everybody wins’, is my approach. My advice to younger disabled people is to embrace and rock your difference.”
In her work, she has supported people with a range of conditions, from spinal cord injuries to mental health issues and neurodiversity - which encompasses dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, autism, and Tourette syndrome.
She campaigns for women in STEM, volunteers for charities Samaritans and Flying Scholarships for Disabled People, and has written articles for Runway Girl Network, Disability Horizons, and Liability Magazine
Interim chief executive of Shaw Trust, Nick Bell, congratulated Mary: “The judges were beyond impressed by the standard of nominations but selected the most influential people who are proving that disability or impairment is not a barrier to success.
“One of our aims for the Disability Power 100 List is to demonstrate to young people that they can achieve their ambitions.”
Shaw Trust is a charity transforming the lives of young people and adults by working with the Government, local authorities and employers to help people overcome their barriers.
To find out more about the charity, visit www.shaw-trust.org.uk/
Mary’s business website is at www.rocketgirlcoaching.com
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