We are looking for six to eight people with lived experience of a disability to become our Lived Experience Advisors.
Whether you’re a disabled person, an unpaid carer, or a parent or carer of a disabled child or adult, we’d like to work with you on designing and running a groundbreaking study on disability and inclusive design.
This is a paid opportunity to work alongside our team and make sure the voices of disabled people lead the way to inform the design of inclusive products and services.
About the project:
This project is about finding out what gets in the way of independence for disabled people. Together, we’ll:
- Explore what’s working and what’s not
- Share real ideas to improve design
- Show what great accessibility looks like
What does a Lived Experience Advisor do?
You choose how you’d like to be involved. Whether it’s joining group calls, chatting 1:1 or giving written feedback, we’ll work in ways that suit you best.
You don’t need any research experience to take part. We value your perspective, your story and your ideas. As an advisor, you’ll work with us to:
- Design the study: Shape questions, methods and materials
- Review drafts: Give feedback on surveys, reports and communications
- Test things out: Try out materials and share your thoughts
- Share findings: Help us tell the story in your own voice- through blogs, videos, events and more. You’ll be supported by our team on this.
Project timeline
The project runs from September 2025 to the end of 2026. You’ll take part in workshops, feedback sessions and planning meetings.
We will chat through the timings with you when we make contact.
Payment and time commitment
We value your time and experience. You’ll be paid £25 per hour, in line with Designability’s payment policy and NIHR research payment rates.
Payment can be made via cash or voucher payment.
Estimated total: 27.25 hours for all stages.
We’ll chat to you about your preferences and adjust formats to suit your needs.
Estimated payment: £775
Extra activities (like blogs and videos) will be paid separately.
If you receive welfare benefits:
If you receive benefits, payment may affect them. This opportunity is paid for by cash or voucher (whichever you prefer). Please speak with a benefits advisor or check DWP guidance before accepting payment. We’re happy to help signpost resources.
Flexible and accessible working
We’ll work in ways that suit you best:
- Online workshops
- 1:1 chats via Zoom, Teams or the phone
- Written feedback by email or comments
Support from our team
You’ll be supported by the Designability team throughout. Whether it’s a quick question or a longer chat, we’re here for you in whatever format works best.
Let us know your access needs. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
What you’ll help create:
- Research questions shaped by lived experience
- Co-designed materials
- Tested and refined tools
- Findings shared in your voice
- Helping us improve our inclusive research practice
How to apply:
Please fill out the application form.
The opportunity to apply is open until Monday 20 October.
Beth, our Research Manager will then arrange a friendly chat about the role, your preferences and any adjustments you’d like.
We know organisations need to do more to include people who are often overlooked and we want to do better. To help us, we ask a few optional demographic questions in the form. These help us see who’s getting involved and who we might be missing, so we can take action to reach more voices.
When selecting people to take part, we’ll consider:
- Representation across different communities and experiences
- Availability and capacity to join in
- Support needs we can reasonably meet
- A good balance of perspectives in each activity
Any questions?
We’ll be in touch with other ways to get involved, and it’s completely up to you whether you’d like to join in.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Beth at research@designability.org.uk