Paralympian makes Disability Power list top 10

A former Paralympian said she was "blown away" to have been recognised as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.

Beth Moulam, who retired from sport in 2022 after representing GB at the Tokyo Paralympics, has been listed in the top 10 of the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 for the second time.

The 31-year-old communicates using a piece of technology that detects eye movement through a camera or tracker, similar to that used by rugby legend and MND campaigner, Rob Burrow.

Ms Moulam, from York, has been recognised for her work advocating for people who use alternative forms of communication.

The Disability Power 100 recognises and celebrates the 100 most influential and trailblazing people in the country with a disability.

Ms Moulam topped the Grassroots and Community Advocate category, placing her in the overall top 10 most influential disabled people in the UK.

She said: "When I made the list again this year I was blown away. It is a tough competition made up of leading lights who are influencing the disability landscape."

The former elite athlete, whose cerebral palsy was caused at birth by a lack of oxygen, represented GB in the specialised disability sport of boccia.

Ms Moulam said the last 18 months had been "a whirlwind" of full time study for a MA in Social Policy and, in her spare time, advocating for those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

"Whether I am attending a board meeting, delivering a lecture, leading a workshop, or talking at a school assembly, I'm achieving my aim of creating greater awareness of AAC and engaging allies for AAC users," she added.

In July 2024 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in health by Manchester Metropolitan University for her Paralympic achievement and for her advocacy work around AAC.

She said it was "humbling to be rewarded for doing something you love with a passion".

Ms Moulam said the late Rob Burrow had done "a great job of raising awareness of electronic communication devices".

"His celebrity status as a rugby player gave him a platform to raise awareness of motor neurone disease and, as a by-product of that, this type of equipment," she said.

Ms Moulam said her own sporting career had also given her an awareness raising platform, which alongside her voluntary advocacy work included "lecturing, public speaking, delivering workshops and training and mentoring".

She said: "It is all about awareness raising and my passion around empowering other people who use communication resources."

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