Chesterfield, England, United Kingdom
Hi, I’m Abbie 🌸 I’m disabled and neurodivergent (late diagnosed autism and adhd-c), which means everyday life takes far more energy than most people see. Because of chronic illness and systemic barriers, I’m not in conventional employment right now — but I keep building skills, exploring passions, and finding connection where I can. ---what I’ve done before--- I’ve worked across: 📌 representation & democracy 📌 administration 📌 advocacy & policy These roles gave me a broad understanding of how organisations function — and how they often fall short for disabled and marginalised people. Along the way, I built a strong awareness of accessibility, equality, and inclusion, shaped as much by lived reality as by formal work. ---what most of my time goes on--- Much of my energy is spent on the unseen labour of disability: 📄 benefits forms ❤️🩹 medical admin 👽 navigating systems that weren’t designed for people like me Advocacy is part of my daily life — for myself, and when I can, for my family too. This survival work often takes more out of me than anything else. This is constant, unavoidable work — paperwork, advocacy, and survival admin take more out of me than any “job” ever has. ---what I do with the energy I have left--- 🌱 tending a wildlife-friendly garden & caring for invertebrates 💻 homelab projects, digital tools & accessible tech 🎨 crafts, DIY & sustainable creative projects 💌 exploring disability rights & neurodivergent advocacy ---how neurodivergence shapes this--- Being neurodivergent means my interests pull me in deeply. I care about these projects, but they’re also how I cope and process the world: ⚡ hyperfocus ⏳ time blindness 🔥 burnout 🎭 sensory overwhelm They aren’t “productive” in a traditional sense — they’re the rhythm of how I live, learn, and create, even while ND life remains a barrier to work. ---where I want to go--- I may not follow a conventional career path, but I bring creativity, adaptability, and lived expertise. In the future, I’d love to connect with people and organisations who value accessibility, sustainability, and genuine inclusion. I'd love to be able to be more independent and less reliant on the system
This is constant, unavoidable work — paperwork, advocacy, and survival admin take more out of me than any “job” ever has. • Managing my own health and neurodivergence alongside caring responsibilities • Handling complex life admin, benefits processes, and medical systems • Advocacy work — ensuring access to rights and support in challenging systems • Developing resilience, adaptability, and organisational skills through daily practice • Balancing this with hobbies, creative and digital projects when capacity allows
Casual volunteer role for start-up nonprofit
· Co-ordinating the planning and delivery of school and college activity and events · Communicating professionally with a wide range of individuals · Presenting confidently to a variety of audience · Developing resources and activities, both as a group and individually · Providing effective and efficient administrative support on a casual basis · Operating office equipment comfortably such as telephones, photocopiers and scanners, and using IT packages for word processing, data entry and retrieval e.g. email, Word, Excel and Access
· Assisting guests at university Open Days, Clearing, recruitment and widening participation events and activities · Interacting and communicating with teens and adults about my student experience at school visits · Demonstrated exceptional conversational and communication skills when talking to new people · Inputting data into databases using technological skills and computer knowledge · Working as a team with other students and staff members · Call Centre experience in an office environment, as a part of the intensive Clearing process and student conversion call centre · Sensitively handling confidential data in a professional manner · Attended basic safeguarding and data protection (GDPR) training · Using initiative when faced with unexpected challenges in the workplace
Student Administrative and Marketing Assistant as part of Sheffield Hallam Wellbeing Team - Providing general administrative support to wellbeing practitioners on the development of the Class of 2021 Wellbeing for Work course - Attending development meetings to contribute ideas and offer feedback on current resources and power-point presentation - Producing resources and marketing materials that can be used and embedded in other training - Listening to others and translating their ideas to ensure a clear picture of what is needed Encouraging student participation in the course, e.g. though marketing materials - Reflecting and evaluating with practitioners on the work undertaken and offering feedback to improve future training