Harriet Shaw

Harriet was diagnosed as autistic at a very young age, but struggled because most of the adaptive resources she was offered were designed for boys. It was not until she went to University that Harriet realised just how intersectional the autistic community is, and she began to see herself in others.

Being autistic, Harriet has been particularly vulnerable, which has meant that she has developed a range of mental illnesses including PTSD. It's something she likes to call ”Traumatism". Her mental illnesses and autistic hypersensitivity work in tandem to amplify her difficulties. Nevertheless, she has developed a range of coping strategies and avoids situations that may be triggering. As she has a hidden disability, she goes between masked and unmasked states, depending on her own safety. Sometimes she is forced to decide between outing herself as disabled and being victimised; or staying silent and being denied the necessary assistance.

Over the past few years, Harriet has embraced her identity as a disabled woman who was raised in a disabled household. She has done the research and had open and honest conversations on accessibility. She has shared frustrations with her community and family, as well as educating others on how to improve access, particularly within student organisations. She continues to explore accessibility solutions - not only for those who share her disabilities - but for a huge range of disabled people.
Harriet recently graduated from Newcastle University and is currently reading for a PGCE in French with Spanish at Oxford University.