Sam Hopkins

Position/Role

Accessibility Assessor: Visually Impaired

Years with Shaw

5 Months

Disability with a little background

The condition I have is called galactosemia. Galactosemia is a genetic condition which affects the ability to metabolise the sugar galactose properly, therefore I cannot eat anything which contains dairy as this would make my vision deteriorate.

Previous work or background

I used to work part-time in a café called Surfside where my main responsibility was to wash and dry plates and cutlery and make sure tables were clean.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

I am proud to be part of the accessibility team because I feel as if I am making a positive difference to other people’s lives and making websites easier to access for people who are disabled.

Why does accessibility matter?

Just because someone is disabled should not mean that they cannot access the same information as someone who is able-bodied. Websites should provide equal opportunities for all people regardless of someone’s disability.

How do clients benefit from your input?

Clients understand the importance regarding accessibility when accessing a website for someone who is visually impaired. Factors which clients would learn are: how essential it is for a text resizing facility provided by the website is and for the accessibility statement to be near the top of the website so that the accessibility statement is visible and easy to find.

Meet the Accessibility Team

Joe Manock National Account Manager
Sam Rees Business Co-ordinator
Lianne Richards Technical Specialist
Connor McNeish Technical Analyst
Kieran Stoakes Technical Analysist
Matthew Robinson Technical Analysist
Néja Leedham Technical Analysist
Adam Armstrong Accessibility Assessor:
Learning Disabilities / Low Vision
Alan Sleat Accessibility Assessor:
Screen Reader
Darren Hardman Accessibility Assessor:
Deaf / Hard of Hearing
Imran Akhtar Accessibility Assessor:
Screen Reader
Lee Ellery Accessibility Assessor :
Non-Mouse
Rupi Phullar Accessibility Assessor :
Non-Mouse
Sam Hopkins Accessibility Assessor:
Visually Impaired
Steve Evans Accessibility Assessor:
Low Vision
Thomas Harrison Accessibility Assessor:
Screen Reader
Joe Manock

Position/Role
National Account Manager

Previous work or background
I have worked as an account manager for the last 25 years and the last 10 years with Shaw Trust

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I want to make a difference every day to somebody’s life and working with a great team like Shaw Trust Accessibility Services enables me to do that.

Why does accessibility matter?
It is vital that everybody regardless of ability or disability has the same opportunities as everyone else.

How do clients benefit from your input?
My job is to ensure that every project runs smoothly and our clients are delivered a first class service whilst working with Shaw Trust.

Sam Rees

Position/Role
Business Co-ordinator

Disability with a little background
Although I have been partially deaf in one ear since birth I do not consider this to be a disability, as it has not really affected my life.

Previous work or background
I have always worked in finance roles until I joined Accessibility Services in 2020, although I did return to University as a mature student to study law.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I believe that the talents and experience that every member of the team possesses are enhanced when we work together, and enables us to produce something special.

Why does accessibility matter?
I believe that everybody has a right to take an active part in society. Life shouldn’t be limited by disability. At Accessibility Services I believe that we play our part in making this happen.

How do clients benefit from your input?
I deal with our clients when they are at the beginning of their accessibility journey. It is my job to provide them with information about the services they require, and then maintain a link between them and our technical team.

Lianne Richards

Position/Role
Technical Specialist

Disability with a little background
I do not consider myself to have a disability.

Previous work or background
My previous work background is a stud groom for Louella Stud.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I am proud to be part of the Accessibility Team because I know that the work that we do helps all people have an enjoyable experience when accessing websites, regardless of any disabilities that would once have been seen as a barrier to accessing the internet.

Why does accessibility matter?
Accessibility matters because everybody should have the same access to information, regardless of their disabilities.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients benefit from my input because when their website is accessible, more users are likely to engage with their site.

Connor McNeish

Position/Role
Technical Analyst

Disability with a little background
I was born with Cerebral Palsy in my right foot, this has never effected me. I play football, I skateboard. I’m very lucky to be in this position

Previous work or background
Before joining the Shaw Trust I was a bartender, and before that I worked at a COVID Testing Centre.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I’ve seen people with Cerebral Palsy in much worse situations so I almost feel like I have a duty to try and make their life easier.

Why does accessibility matter?
Accessibility matters because everyone should be able to access whatever they want, nothing should be in the way of that.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients will benefit from my input because I’m a younger member of the team and I can look at things from a different perspective.

Kieran Stoakes

Position/Role
Technical Analysist

Disability with a little background
I do not consider myself to have a disability, however I have struggled with complex-PTSD for a long time.

Previous work or background
I have grown up around technology my whole life and have an especially strong passion for anything computer related, ecology and cooking.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I am proud to work in an environment that I feel accepts me how I am. I am also proud to work in a field where I can apply my knowledge of computers to help people with disabilities experience the same things I’ve always loved to do.

Why does accessibility matter?
I believe that companies should give equal opportunity for everyone to access information by implementing accessible options. I also think that all people should be able to access every single thing on the internet regardless of their circumstances.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Through my work and the technical team’s work, companies can learn what to look out for and change to make their websites more accessible to a much wider audience.

Matthew Robinson

Position/Role
Technical Analysist

Disability with a little background
I do not consider myself to have a disability

Previous work or background
I have previous experience working with front-end technologies and throughout the software development life cycle primarily working with embedded electronics.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I am very proud to be working with the Accessibility Team, not only do we report on accessibility issues, but we are able to provide real-life experiences on how users are affected by these issues and provide resolutions to make a more accessible website for all.

Why does accessibility matter?
Accessibility removes barriers to allow individuals to live more independent and dignified lives.

How do clients benefit from your input?
I take great satisfaction in dealing with grey/complex issues, the more difficult the better.

Néja Leedham

Position/Role
Technical Analysist

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Adam Armstrong

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Learning Disabilities / Low Vision

Disability with a little background
I have a severe learning disability and epilepsy due to Hydrocephalus (a build-up of fluid on the brain). I also have impaired motor skills and am partially sighted.

Previous work or background
None

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
Helping organisations understand disabled people is a good thing to do.

Why does accessibility matter?
It means that nobody is stopped from accessing information that they want to read.

How do clients benefit from your input?
They understand what it is like to be disabled and how hard it can be to use a website.

Alan Sleat

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Screen Reader

Disability with a little background
I lost my sight when I was 29 through diabetes.

Previous work or background
Horse riding instructor.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I am proud to be part of the accessibility team, knowing that the work I do assessing websites to be accessible to other screen reader users, will benefit them. In addition, also assisting clients that recognise the benefit of having their sites accessible.

Why does accessibility matter?
The internet is a great way of gaining knowledge, getting information and buying products and therefore should allow a Screen Reader User to be equally informed and able to access all websites and the option to buy - the same as anyone else. Without these changes, some sites will not give these opportunities.

How do clients benefit from your input?
The clients that we work for benefit from our assessments to allow a more diverse visitor to their site; from my point of view to be accessible for people who use Screen Reader software. This, in turn, will keep that person using the client’s site, giving them a greater visitor rate.

Darren Hardman

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Deaf / Hard of Hearing

Disability with a little background
I have been deaf since birth as my mother had German measles when she was pregnant with me. I grew up lip-reading and learnt sign language at school.

Previous work or background
I worked for Remploy for 17 years then a Postman for 1 year.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I’m pleased to be part of the Accessibility Team as we are working together to make the web more accessible for all disabled users.

Why does accessibility matter?
Because all users should have equal access to information regardless if they are deaf, blind or physically disabled.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients learn how members of the deaf community access information. That videos need subtitles or transcripts, and users need more contact details and not only a phone number.

Imran Akhtar

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Screen Reader

Disability with a little background
I originally experienced sight loss in my left eye in 2009, when I was in my early 30’s. The vision just went, with no warning. It was found that my retina had detached. 9 months later, the retina in my right eye also suffered a detachment. After 10 or so operations, I was registered as Sight Impaired, with the main upshot being that I had to surrender my driving licence.
I experienced ongoing issues with my eyes, including Glaucoma, low pressure, retinal cysts and ongoing infections. This caused my vision to deteriorate further, until I was registered as Severely Sight Impaired in 2015. I now have no useable sight.

Previous work or background
Before I lost my sight, I had been a Post Office Manager for 6 years. I then started volunteering for RNIB, who helped me when I lost my sight. That eventually led to a part-time admin role with them, which then led on to an apprenticeship with Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as a Housing Assistant.
As my interest was in technology, I then gained the Position of Digital Skills Officer with RNIB, which involved teaching people with sight loss to use the accessibility features of mobile devices. I was then an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer at Ayr hospital, where I offered emotional and practical support to people newly diagnosed with sight loss.
All my previous experience was invaluable when I became a Freelance Workplace Assessor for Access to Work in 2018, which involved travelling all over Scotland to assess people with sight loss, hearing loss and Dyslexia for Access to Work support. I had an unfortunate hiatus when the Coronavirus hit, but after a year, I gained the position of HI Assessor for Barry Bennet, which then led to my position with Shaw Trust.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
Coming into such a diverse, experienced and motivated team has been a great experience for me. With our individual specialties all working in the same direction in making websites accessible for all, I feel we are a complete unit and complement each other very well. Having other screen reader users on the team allows us to bounce ideas off each other, and often have heated discussions on the best way to make sites accessible!

Why does accessibility matter?
Making accessible online content is in everybody’s best interests, both as consumers and service providers. If a website author excludes sections of their customer base, it will deter people from visiting their sight, which will affect their overall objective in setting up the site in the first place. If consumers are put off by a site not being accessible, they will go elsewhere, or contact the company’s site using more costly means for the company. With our knowledge of accessibility and some adjustments to the site, we can make websites that are accessible to all.

How do clients benefit from your input?
As the Accessibility Team offers a complete, all-encompassing service, the client can be certain that their site will be accessible when they put our recommendations in to effect. To me this isn’t just a job; it is something I actually enjoy doing, so the client knows they will always receive the best service from me.

Lee Ellery

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor : Non-Mouse

Disability with a little background
I have cerebral palsy quadriplegic which affects the four limbs of my body. This doesn’t get me down. In fact it is the reason why I am so passionate about disability.

Previous work or background
I have never held a paid job up until now. All my work has been carried out on a voluntary basis with disability rights and equality at the forefront. I qualified as a disability equality tutor in March 2012. I feel that I have gained a wealth of knowledge since then. The training that I undertook helped me to realise that my disability will never change, and I have used those methods going forward.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I feel that I can help to begin to change society’s perception of disability. I can help individuals and professionals alike to understand the authentic concept of disability, not only for now but also for the future. For that reason, I am proud to be a part of the accessibility team here at Shaw Trust.

Why does accessibility matter?
I feel that accessibility is very important as accessible technology is being used more and more by people with disabilities. Therefore, it is vital that organisations do all they can to make sure that their websites are as inclusive as possible and provide a good experience for users.

How do clients benefit from your input?
My role within the accessibility services team sees me testing websites using both a keyboard only method and Dragon software. This is a dictation software for people with little hand use or dexterity. Clients can be sure that they are receiving the benefit of my personal experience.

Rupi Phullar

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor : Non-Mouse

Disability with a little background
Following treatment for cancer, I have developed a physical impairment which affect my neck, shoulder, and arm.

Previous work or background
I have always worked in full time positions. I have degree in computer studies and Early Childhood studies, both achieved with honours. Have 30 years’ expertise in Early years and childcare. I am also a qualified tutor.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
My disability had opened a new world for me. For me, Accessibility Team is group of untapped highly skilled individuals with a passion and niche expertise in making world wide web truly inclusive. Being part of the Accessibility Team allows me to contribute to change society’s perception of disability and help to find simple solutions that make a big impact.

Why does accessibility matter?
Accessibility provides a platform for equity for everyone. Technology is used increasingly, especially over the last few years, as a tool for communication, platform for business and for school. Disability can occur in childhood or developed at later life. It is important to ensure accessible technology becomes the norm in society to ensure inclusivity for all ages and disabilities. Therefore, it is vital that organisations do all they can to make sure that their websites so that their product and services can reach and be used by everyone.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Within the Accessibility services team, I test the website using the only the keyboard. Disabled users may have a range of difficulties with motor skills. This includes older users who may have deteriorating motor skills and who prefer to switch between mouse and keyboard. These

Sam Hopkins

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Visually Impaired

Disability with a little background
The condition I have is called galactosemia. Galactosemia is a genetic condition which affects the ability to metabolise the sugar galactose properly, therefore I cannot eat anything which contains dairy as this would make my vision deteriorate.

Previous work or background
I used to work part-time in a café called Surfside where my main responsibility was to wash and dry plates and cutlery and make sure tables were clean.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
I am proud to be part of the accessibility team because I feel as if I am making a positive difference to other people’s lives and making websites easier to access for people who are disabled.

Why does accessibility matter?
Just because someone is disabled should not mean that they cannot access the same information as someone who is able-bodied. Websites should provide equal opportunities for all people regardless of someone’s disability.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients understand the importance regarding accessibility when accessing a website for someone who is visually impaired. Factors which clients would learn are: how essential it is for a text resizing facility provided by the website is and for the accessibility statement to be near the top of the website so that the accessibility statement is visible and easy to find.

Steve Evans

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Low Vision

Disability with a little background
Have been a Type 1 Diabetic for the past 40 years and has affected my vision, Ocular Hypertension in the left eye and a macular hole in the right. Recently had two heart attacks during covid and am in the process of regaining my confidence and strength.

Previous work or background
Attended Art College after leaving school and then worked in retail for 25 years where I ended up as a store manger for a large high street retail company. Also was a Disc Jockey for 32 years and am now a Shared Lives Carer.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
Working as part of a team that can make a difference to encourage sites to be more accessible for users with certain disabilities. By testing websites for their accessibility and reporting faults and recommendations that could be made to improve them may benefit other users and easier to access. Also, companies may recognize the importance of reaching out to other users so they can browse through their websites with ease.

Why does accessibility matter?
Being able to browse sites that are Accessibility friendly can give users the opportunity to access sites with confidence to find information, make secure purchases and any other correspondence to be conducted on the internet, as IT is the way forward.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients can benefit by recognizing the importance for their sites being accessible that will invite more users with disabilities to access and browse. This, in turn, will keep that person using the client’s site, giving them a greater visitor rate.

Thomas Harrison

Position/Role
Accessibility Assessor: Screen Reader

Disability with a little background
In my early 20’s I was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease known as RP (retinitis pigmentosa). This meant that over the next 20 years, the photo receptor sells at the back of my eyes would slowly stop functioning. Now, in my late 40’s I am completely blind.

Previous work or background
For the first 25 years or so of my life I was fully sighted, held a driving license, enjoyed outdoor sports like solo dinghy sailing and cycling.
My background is in engineering having gained my degree in electrical and mechanical engineering with deteriorating sight during the 90’s. It was at this point I was first introduced to the assistive software known as a screen reader.
I then worked for London Underground for 10 years liaising with contractors maintaining the stations of three of the deep tube lines. I enjoyed the relationship aspect of this role, navigating all over the tube network with my white cane and later with “Magic” my guide dog. To many it might seem that getting around the tube might be the tricky bit but it was honestly the inaccessibility of many of the internal software systems that caused me most hassle, finally leading to my voluntary severance.

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?
Being part of the Shaw Trust accessibility team is great because we are a team of individuals that all play a vital role in making the online world accessible to those that are currently unwittingly and unnecessarily excluded.

Why does accessibility matter?
Accessibility increasingly matters because more services than ever are now only provided online.
It is now possible to create an online environment that is entirely accessible to someone unable to see the screen. It is the right thing to do and is an achievable aim.

How do clients benefit from your input?
Clients benefit through opening up there online presence to more customers, improving their websites google search rankings and actively demonstrating that they are committed to the modern inclusive future of Information Technology.

Position/Role

Years with Shaw

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Let us help you

Meet the Accessibility Team

Joe Manock

Position/Role

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Sam Rees

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Lianne Richards

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Connor McNeish

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Kieran Stoakes

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Matthew Robinson

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Néja Leedham

Position/Role

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Adam Armstrong

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Alan Sleat

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Darren Hardman

Position/Role

Disability with a little background

Previous work or background

Why are you proud to be part of the Accessibility Team?

Why does accessibility matter?

How do clients benefit from your input?

Imran Akhtar

Position/Role