Celia Chartres-Aris

she/her/hers
Government Special Advisor, Lobbyist, Researcher & Policy Designer, Legal Expert, Founder & Investor
National, International & British Territories Governments

Award category:

Politics, Law and Media

Celia is a multi-award winning Government Special advisor, lobbyist, researcher, policy and legal expert, founder and investor advocating for the improvement of Disability equity. As a Government Special Adviser, she works globally with national, British Territories, and international Governments in policy and strategy development, legislative design and performance, lobbying, unit management and implementing international Disability law. Celia was born with a rare terminal genetic condition and lives with multiple organ failure.

As a specialist researcher and policy designer Celia’s ground-breaking work, leading numerous papers, has been used to create legislation, included in Government consultations, and used by legislature in reviews and Government inquiries. Passionate about politics and representation, Celia is actively involved with organisations and campaigns aimed at increasing the representation of Disabled people at all levels of policy creation.

Celia has orchestrated a number of highly successful campaigns including the successful reinstatement of The Secretary of State for Disability, implementation of UN Conventions, and House of Commons debates. Celia has received multiple awards recognising her work including named on The Global Diversity Leaders list, Linkedin ‘Top Voices’ and is internationally celebrated by organisations such as Forbes, The Financial Times, Metro and BBC. With a background in law specialising in Human Rights, she actively lobbies around the world for the implementation of Disability law and policy, working across all sectors with organisations and Governments, for the improved equity and inclusion of Disabled people. This includes working with; The House of Lords, EU, UN, British Territories, Westminster, Apple, Linkedin and Downing Street.

Celia has founded several successful disabled-led organisations focused on the development and advancement of policy, ensuring that Disabled people are at the heart of legislation and consultation. She is the Co-founder of the first policy unit in the UK which focuses on putting disability at the heart of Westminster, Access2Funding which brings together the global investment market to implement inclusion, and Unlearning Ableism which through consultation and a Live broadcast tackles ableism. As an investor, Celia has supported countless disabled led entrepreneurs, and sits on a number of boards as a champion for inclusion and accessibility.

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible – Nothing is out of limits.

Q&A

Celia Chartres-Aris
We are consistently stereotyped about what we can and cannot do. No. We decide what we can and cannot do, we have strength talent and capability, it is not for others to determine these attributes about yourself. Each of us are our biggest assets, care for yourself before anything else.
Tangible impact. Through working around the world with national, British Territories, and international Governments in policy and strategy development, legislative design and performance, lobbying, unit management and implementing international Disability law, I believe that my work will create a tangible shift in the protections, opportunities, inclusion and provisions for Disabled people. Changes to law, policy and representation are the key to forward progression. Also through the successful campaigns I have founded, such as the restatement of The Minister for Disabled people, I hope that my impact has been one of effective and causal change.
To be at the heart of Governmental change, and driving forward inclusive law and policy, around the world.
Anything arty and crafty and I’m there!
Friends, family…animals!
Dogs
Political representation
Failures and inadequacies in the legal, legislative and policy systems.
Image shows Celia a white female with blonde hair tied back off her face talking to a woman with a micrphone, there is a cerma facing her. Behind her is a stage and a lectern where she has just finished giving a keynote speech.

Areas of expertise

Accessibility, Business, Charity, social enterprise, Community, Cross Sector, Disability Advocacy, Equality, Finance, Law, Politics, Social Media influencing, Television, radio, podcast

Disability Power 100 profile information is self-submitted by the profile subject. Shaw Trust understands and respects that disability and impairment descriptors and language use varies from person to person. Shaw Trust assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or discrepancies in the content of this, or any other, profile page.

Image credits: MEECT Ministry His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar.
Request easy read version