Meet the Team

Kurtis has been a member of his local People First self advocacy group for over 10 years and since then has become a Chair Trustee, Advocate and representative. Kurtis works to provide feedback and perspective with the aim of making life better for people with learning disabilities, learning difficulties and other lived experiences.

As a person with lived experience Kurtis was also an ambassador and member of the evaluation forum for the Engage to Change project, making sure that the project research was inclusive and accessible for people with learning disabilities and other lived experiences. Kurtis has strengths in presenting, chairing and public speaking. He is interested in research and evaluation, including how people with learning disabilities can be better involved. His passion is to speak to people to make sure the social model of disability is heard in society and make a difference for the future generations of people with learning disabilities.

In his spare time Kurtis is a keen football supporter and enjoys gaming, socialising and travel.

Kurtis has been a member of his local People First self advocacy group for over 10 years and since then has become a Chair Trustee, Advocate and representative. Kurtis works to provide feedback and perspective with the aim of making life better for people with learning disabilities, learning difficulties and other lived experiences.

As a person with lived experience Kurtis was also an ambassador and member of the evaluation forum for the Engage to Change project, making sure that the project research was inclusive and accessible for people with learning disabilities and other lived experiences. Kurtis has strengths in presenting, chairing and public speaking. He is interested in research and evaluation, including how people with learning disabilities can be better involved. His passion is to speak to people to make sure the social model of disability is heard in society and make a difference for the future generations of people with learning disabilities.

In his spare time Kurtis is a keen football supporter and enjoys gaming, socialising and travel.

Elisa is an experienced Research Fellow with over a decade of work focused on improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism, particularly in the areas of supported employment, social inclusion, and the transition from education into adult life. Her work is rooted in co-production and lived experience, ensuring that research is not only academically robust but also meaningful and relevant to the communities it serves.

Elisa led the evaluation and legacy work of the Engage to Change project at the National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University, which has directly influenced Welsh Government employability policy and supported hundreds of young people with learning disabilities and/or autism into employment. Elisa’s strengths lie in partnership-building, inclusive research design, and accessible communication. She is skilled in mixed-methods research, including interviews, participatory approaches, and easy read materials. She has supported individuals with lived experience to become co-researchers and advocates. Elisa actively contributes to national advisory groups and research networks, and her work has been recognised through awards for leadership in equality, diversity and inclusion.

In her spare time Elisa enjoys baking, travel and supporting her local community.

Elisa is an experienced Research Fellow with over a decade of work focused on improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism, particularly in the areas of supported employment, social inclusion, and the transition from education into adult life. Her work is rooted in co-production and lived experience, ensuring that research is not only academically robust but also meaningful and relevant to the communities it serves.

Elisa led the evaluation and legacy work of the Engage to Change project at the National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University, which has directly influenced Welsh Government employability policy and supported hundreds of young people with learning disabilities and/or autism into employment. Elisa’s strengths lie in partnership-building, inclusive research design, and accessible communication. She is skilled in mixed-methods research, including interviews, participatory approaches, and easy read materials. She has supported individuals with lived experience to become co-researchers and advocates. Elisa actively contributes to national advisory groups and research networks, and her work has been recognised through awards for leadership in equality, diversity and inclusion.

In her spare time Elisa enjoys baking, travel and supporting her local community.

Andrea worked as a learning disability researcher at Cardiff University for over 25 years. Her background includes evaluations of supported living, day services, supported internships, transition, behaviour that challenges and Supported Employment, and most recently she worked on the Engage to Change project.

Andrea specialises in co-production and delivering accessible research products with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent young people, working to produce Easy Read research questionnaires and reports. She has championed participant engagement in co-producing scripts and filming video versions of research results, ensuring project findings are accessible to the people she works with as well as families, academics and policy leads, with an aim to increasing project impact. This also includes co-delivered presentations which she has delivered nationally and internationally with people with lived experience.

Andrea is trained in Supported Employment techniques including Training in Systematic Instruction, and has been a workplace mentor to several young people with learning disabilities and/or autism providing work-based support and learning to enable young people to transition into paid employment. Andrea has lived experience of disability and is also parent of a neurodivergent teenager.

In her spare time Andrea enjoys travel and riding the biggest and fastest roller coasters across the World.

Andrea worked as a learning disability researcher at Cardiff University for over 25 years. Her background includes evaluations of supported living, day services, supported internships, transition, behaviour that challenges and Supported Employment, and most recently she worked on the Engage to Change project.

Andrea specialises in co-production and delivering accessible research products with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent young people, working to produce Easy Read research questionnaires and reports. She has championed participant engagement in co-producing scripts and filming video versions of research results, ensuring project findings are accessible to the people she works with as well as families, academics and policy leads, with an aim to increasing project impact. This also includes co-delivered presentations which she has delivered nationally and internationally with people with lived experience.

Andrea is trained in Supported Employment techniques including Training in Systematic Instruction, and has been a workplace mentor to several young people with learning disabilities and/or autism providing work-based support and learning to enable young people to transition into paid employment. Andrea has lived experience of disability and is also parent of a neurodivergent teenager.

In her spare time Andrea enjoys travel and riding the biggest and fastest roller coasters across the World.

Alex is a PhD student at Cardiff University’s Business School where he researches the question “How can Strategic HRM address neurodivergent people’s recruitment and selection barriers, whilst facilitating a competitive advantage?” This topic was inspired by his lived experience of neurodivergence (autism, ADHD and self-diagnosed dyspraxia), navigating a childhood diagnosis of autism (aged 5), and an adult diagnosis of ADHD (aged 23).

These experiences, and how they may manifest in the workplace, have contributed to his interest in understanding how organisational practices can create or reduce barriers for neurodivergent people, and people with learning disabilities. Alex’s interests closely align with WCLD’s work in inclusive research, co-production and employment. He is particularly interested in person-centred approaches to neurodivergence and learning disability which considers the diversity of experiences, strengths, needs and barriers within their social and organisational contexts. Therefore, he is interested in how research can be conducted with people with lived experience rather than simply about them, and how research methods and outputs can be calibrated to ensure they are accessible and meaningful to those they are intended to benefit. He is particularly interested in the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to improve accessibility and support participation.

In his spare time Alex enjoys watching football, meeting friends and travelling.

Alex is a PhD student at Cardiff University’s Business School where he researches the question “How can Strategic HRM address neurodivergent people’s recruitment and selection barriers, whilst facilitating a competitive advantage?” This topic was inspired by his lived experience of neurodivergence (autism, ADHD and self-diagnosed dyspraxia), navigating a childhood diagnosis of autism (aged 5), and an adult diagnosis of ADHD (aged 23).

These experiences, and how they may manifest in the workplace, have contributed to his interest in understanding how organisational practices can create or reduce barriers for neurodivergent people, and people with learning disabilities. Alex’s interests closely align with WCLD’s work in inclusive research, co-production and employment. He is particularly interested in person-centred approaches to neurodivergence and learning disability which considers the diversity of experiences, strengths, needs and barriers within their social and organisational contexts. Therefore, he is interested in how research can be conducted with people with lived experience rather than simply about them, and how research methods and outputs can be calibrated to ensure they are accessible and meaningful to those they are intended to benefit. He is particularly interested in the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to improve accessibility and support participation.

In his spare time Alex enjoys watching football, meeting friends and travelling.