Birmingham journalist Lucy Edwards shortlisted for national disability award
Lucy Edwards, the broadcaster, journalist, content creator and disability advocate, has been shortlisted for ‘Journalist of the Year’ at the national disability charity Sense’s annual awards.
Lucy, 28, lost her eyesight aged 17 to a rare genetic condition named Incontinentia Pigmenti. Just three years later she began her career with the BBC, producing content for radio and online.
Lucy was the first blind person in 2019 to host several shows on BBC Radio 1. She has created travel shows documenting her visits to Kenya and Japan as she explored accessibility and attitudes to disabled people in other countries, and earlier this year published her first book, ‘Blind not Broken’. Her work, she says, is dedicated to people like her younger self, who lacked role models growing up.
Lucy is also a popular content creator on social media, with hundreds of thousands of followers. Lucy chronicles her life living with her guide dog, Miss Molly, and her husband, Ollie, who she wed last year. The newlyweds recently began a podcast together, to explore the challenges and realities of dating as an interabled couple, and to share their advice and experiences.
In recognition of her years of work at the forefront of disabled journalism, Lucy is up for ‘Journalist of the Year’ at the Sense Awards, the annual awards run by disability charity Sense. Sense received more than 100 nominations for its awards this year and it was down to a team of disabled judges to review the nominations.
These judges were: author Lisette Auton, playwright Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, influencer Shelby Lynch, activist Paige Barnes, singer-songwriter Joe Kenny, Drag King Crip Ladywood, and the first blind female fitness instructor Jaina Mistry.
Lucy Edwards said: “I am so excited to be shortlisted for the Sense Awards, thank you so much for this honour. I am so excited because to have my work recognised in this way means so much to me. I spent years and years online making content that hopefully resonates with audiences, not only if you have a disability but if you don’t and if you are a disability ally. I am so grateful to be in this position and I am so happy people love my content and what I do for broadcast media, so thank you so much.”
Richard Kramer, Sense Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to recognise Lucy’s journalism and broadcasting career at the 2024 Sense Awards. Lucy is a trailblazer for disabled people in the media, who creates engaging content that educates people about the realities of life with a disability.”
Sense will be revealing this year’s winners on its social media channels in November. You can find out more about the Sense Awards on the charity’s website: www.sense.org.uk/sense-awards