Disability, Inclusion, and the Power of Doing Things Differently
I’m Anica — blind academic, professor, public speaker, author, documentary-maker, and disability advocate. I work at the intersection of disability and inclusion, asking why the world is built the way it is, and what we can do about it.
I’m based at Royal Holloway University of London, where I’m a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Inclusion. But my work doesn’t stay inside universities. It shows up on keynote stages, parliamentary briefings, museum galleries, film screenings, podcasts, and conversations with people who are trying to make their organisations genuinely more inclusive.
I navigate the world as a registered blind woman, with my guide dog Maisie by my side. That lived experience isn’t a footnote to my research — it’s a core part of it.
What I work on
My research, teaching, and public engagement sit at the intersection of disability, inclusion, and institutional change. I’m interested in how lived experience and disability knowledge can make research, leadership and organisations genuinely better — not just more compliant.
My work is shaped by being disabled myself, by years of research with disabled communities globally, and by the reality that most systems and spaces still aren’t designed with us in mind. I want to change that.
- Disability, Work & Entrepreneurship — How disabled people navigate, resist and reshape workplaces, organisations and economic systems that were never designed with them in mind. This includes entrepreneurship, employment, leadership and the invisible labour of simply existing in inaccessible spaces.
- Inclusive Higher Education & Organisational Culture — What does a genuinely inclusive university actually look like? I research and lead institutional change around disability, neurodiversity and mental health in higher education.
- Access, Leisure & Everyday Life — Inclusion doesn’t stop at the office door. I explore how disabled people experience museums, travel, public spaces and leisure — and what needs to change for full participation to be real, not just a policy aspiration.
- Research Ethics & Methodology — How we do research matters as much as what we research. I work with co-created, participatory and arts-based methods that centre lived experience and are shaped by disabled communities, not just about them.
Creative Projects
Alongside academic research and writing, I make things. A documentary about disabled women activists. An art exhibition created by blind and partially sighted artists. A virtual reality experience about assistive technology. A podcast on disability, work and life. And more in the pipeline. This side of my work matters as much to me as the journal articles — because not everyone reads academic papers, and that’s exactly the point.
Impact & Engagement
My work spans academic research, public scholarship, and collaborative projects across sectors. I’m committed to producing work that is rigorous, accessible, and that leads to real-world change.
- Academic publications and reports
- Media commentary and interviews
- Podcast and documentary contributions
- Exhibitions and public engagement projects
- Keynotes, panels, and workshops
About me
I’m passionate about this work because I know from the inside how inaccessible and excluding the world can be for disabled people. I’ve also found a huge amount of joy, fun and connection in my life as a blind woman — and I want my work to reflect both of those truths. Disability is not a problem to be fixed. It’s a different way of being in the world, and it comes with its own knowledge, creativity and power.
Work with me
I collaborate with universities, companies, charitable & cultural organisations, policymakers, publishers, and event organisers. If you are interested in research collaboration, speaking, consultancy, or media engagement, I would be glad to hear from you.