Not short of something to say: Ellie Simmonds

Contact details

As well as being a freelance writer I am also a qualified counsellor and I work for a low cost counselling service in Exeter and for the NHS Gender Clinic also in Exeter.

Simultaneously, I work as a Disability Member of the First Tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber sitting on disability benefit tribunals on an ad hoc basis.

As a writer I specialise in writing about disability and health.

My articles have been published in the Guardian, Times, OUCH! [BBC disability website], Disability Now, Broadcast, Lifestyle [Motability magazine], The Practising Midwife, 'Junior, Pregnancy & Baby', Writers' News, Able, Getting There [Transport for London magazine], Junior, Community Care, DPPi [Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International]. I have also had articles commissioned by Daily Mail.

For more information about me and for examples of my writing please see below.

If you would like me to write an article for your publication, about any aspect of disability, please do get in touch:

emma@emmabowler.co.uk

Friday, January 25, 2013

Ellie Simmonds - what a role model

It's just brilliant seeing Ellie Simmonds popping up on the TV - I've spotted her on Sports Personality of the Year [where she spoke with huge confidence], A Question of Sport [where she got a lot of the answers right and was on the winning team] and this week on The Great Comic Relief Bake Off [where she was made Star Baker].

Her inclusion in these programmes is just so natural, and it's simply great to see a young disabled person [she's just 18 years old] with so much confidence, life and charm.

I hope she realises what an inspiration she is. I know a lot of disabled people hate the 'i' word but take my son who is also short statured - the only other short statured person he sees is me, so it's just fabulous for him to see someone else who is short not only on TV but right up there with other sportspeople and celebrities.

Let's hope the inclusion of more disabled people like Ellie on TV continues as the norm and doesn't disappear as the memories and intentions following London 2012 fades, what a great legacy that would be.

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On becoming a writer

After over 10 years as a BBC TV programme maker working on disability, documentary, entertainment and children's programmes I left to have 2 children.

Having decided that the full on lifestyle of programme making and being a parent wasn't for me I decided to utilise the skills, experience and knowledge gleaned from my BBC career to became a freelance writer.

Because of my personal experience of disability I chose to specialise by writing about all aspects of disability – from parenting to sport, clothes shopping to legislation, what’s in the news to specific aspects of particular impairments.

All too often the media portrayal of disabled people and disability issues doesn’t quite hit the mark, the tone is off, the language is wrong; the overall effect leaves the public none the wiser.

As a disabled writer my aim is to be positive, informative and accurate, that doesn’t have to mean dry and boring – a bit of humour can go a long way!