Lizzie Smith

She/Her
Entrepreneur and Disability Rights Activist
Gradatim

Award category:

Business and Finance

Lizzie Smith is an Entrepreneur and Disability Rights Activist. She is the founder of Gradatim, a company that creates staggered children’s picture books to help parents, caregivers, and health professionals communicate condition-related news to children under five, starting at diagnosis, all the way through their treatment.

Lizzie has led Gradatim to significant achievements, including winning the Scottish EDGE R22 Wildcard and being a finalist at the StartUp UK Awards 2024, along with recognition as a finalist in several national competitions.

Having grown up with ataxic cerebral palsy, Lizzie experienced firsthand the lack of resources available to explain medical conditions to young children. Originally trained as an artist at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), she combined her creative industry knowledge with her personal challenges, inspiring her to complete an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. This blend of expertise in developmental and health psychology, along with her background as an educator, health worker, and designer, drives her work at Gradatim.

Lizzie’s advocacy extends beyond Gradatim. She has served as a UN Women CSW68 Delegate and has spoken at numerous global conferences, including the Global Disability Innovation Summit in 2023, as well as various universities across the world.

Using her storytelling, humour, and first-hand experiences, she aims to inspire a new generation to think of disability within their entrepreneurial journey, and how to use your drive and passion for making a tangible difference in the lives of others.

Living with cerebral palsy has taught me the power of resilience and the importance of advocacy. I strive to help shape a world where every person, feels seen, heard, and empowered to reach for their dreams.

Q&A

Lizzie Smith
Be upfront about what you need to succeed. Whether it’s with your workplace, or being honest with yourself about your needs. Don’t be afraid to ask for what will help you perform your best.
It’s been two-fold. My work with Gradatim has allowed me to develop accessible educational resources that help children and their families understand their health conditions and disabilities, and encourage open conversations. Additionally, through my advocacy and speaking engagements, I have raised awareness about the challenges and inequalities faced by disabled individuals like myself.
My future goals include expanding Gradatim’s reach by developing a broader range of educational resources that cater to more health conditions, ages, and languages, ensuring accessibility for children worldwide. I want everyone who needs our books to have a means to access them. Additionally, I am aiming to establish partnerships with international health and educational organisations to advocate for policy changes that promote inclusive and empathetic communication strategies in disability education and communication.
I’m guilty of binge-watching a lot of Netflix and Disney + in my spare time! Criminal minds and Bobs Burgers are my go-to’s! I also love meeting up with my friends and either cooking or going out for food.
My family and friends.
Dogs!
If I could change one thing, it would be to ensure that every public policy includes the voices and needs of disabled individuals in its development. By fostering true inclusivity and empathy in decision-making processes, we can create a society where everyone, regardless of ability, has equal opportunities and support, without it being an afterthought.
We need to do a better job of enforcing existing laws and policies to protect the rights of disabled people, especially when it comes to employment. It’s crucial to keep developing policies that tackle new issues and fix the gaps in our current laws. Right now, it’s too easy for companies to discriminate against disabled individuals during hiring and employment, and these unfair practices are often protected by the very laws meant to prevent them.
"Two women are standing on a stage in front of a beige curtain. The woman on the left is holding a microphone and speaking, wearing a black dress and glasses. The woman on the right, wearing an orange dress with a floral tattoo on her left arm, is standing with her hands clasped in front of her, looking downwards. To the left of the speaker is a screen displaying the logo for ""gradatim,"" featuring a bear peeking over a book with a heart monitor line on it, and some small icons below it.

Areas of expertise

Accessibility, Art, photography, Business, Children and young people, Community, Cross Sector, Disability Advocacy, Education, Employment, Equality, Health and wellbeing, Publishing

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